Three men from Southern Ontario were arrested by heavily armed police on Des Cedres Street in Field on June 21, as they were suspected of planning a robbery at the Caisse Alliance in the small rural community. Photos by Lance Desbien Sr. 
Three men from Southern Ontario were arrested by heavily armed police on Des Cedres Street in Field on June 21, as they were suspected of planning a robbery at the Caisse Alliance in the small rural community. Photos by Lance Desbien Sr. 
Three men from Southern Ontario were arrested by heavily armed police on Des Cedres Street in Field on June 21, as they were suspected of planning a robbery at the Caisse Alliance in the small rural community. Photos by Lance Desbien Sr. 
Three men from Southern Ontario were arrested by heavily armed police on Des Cedres Street in Field on June 21, as they were suspected of planning a robbery at the Caisse Alliance in the small rural community. Photos by Lance Desbien Sr.
Suzanne Gammon
Tribune
It was an eventful morning in Field as a heavily armed SWAT team descended upon the normally peaceful community and arrested three men in a residential neighbourhood just before noon on June 21, thwarting what they suspected was a planned bank robbery at the Caisse Alliance in Field.
Members from the Nipissing West OPP Crime Unit and OPP Tactics and Rescue Unit apprehended the three men on Des Cedres Street and charged them with attempted robbery and related offences. None of the accused were local.
Keino Heath, age 32 of Oshawa, David Newman, age 27 of Caledon, and Roderick Newman, age 32 of Cobourg, were all charged with conspiracy to commit an indictable offence, attempted robbery with violence and possession of property obtained by crime under $5,000.
Police had been investigating the suspects’ activity for some time and had prior knowledge of the plan. They released little information on the matter other than to say it was still under investigation by the local OPP Crime Unit under the direction of the OPP Criminal Investigation Branch. OPP also appealed to the public for any information related to the matter, asking anyone with knowledge to contact them at 1-888-310-1122 or to call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
Marcy Lemieux, Caisse Alliance Regional Manager, was also fairly mum about the matter, saying the financial institution was advised to keep matters confidential to protect staff privacy and the police investigation and to ensure the continued efficacy of safety protocols. She acknowledged that police gave them prior warning about the plan and intervention, and that she was aware the community was curious and talking about the incident, but could not share much more. She did have high praise for the Ontario Provincial Police, who thwarted the plan and caught the would-be assailants before they could even enter the building. “We were lucky that they never made it into the building; the police did their job very well,” she lauded gratefully.
