A Florida man accused of robbing two banks while wearing a realistic prosthetic “old man” mask faces up to 40 years in federal prison if convicted, prosecutors say.
David Sartin Jr, 40, of St Petersburg, has been charged with two counts of bank robbery over alleged hold-ups in Largo and St Petersburg in August and September.
According to the criminal complaint, Sartin entered Valley Bank in Largo on 24 August wearing a prosthetic face covering with grey facial hair, dark clothing, gloves and a hat. He allegedly demanded cash and told the teller not to include dye packs.
Investigators say he escaped on a bicycle before reaching a vehicle parked nearby. The robbery netted about $2,900, court documents state.
On 15 September, the same suspect allegedly entered a Truist Bank branch in St Petersburg wearing a flat cap, glasses, dark clothing and a similar mask. He handed over a note demanding “cash, no dye” and fled with approximately $2,554.
Evidence found during searches
Surveillance footage is said to show a vehicle travelling from Sartin’s home before the second robbery and returning afterwards. A man resembling him was allegedly seen unloading a bicycle.
The following day, investigators watched Sartin spray-paint the vehicle’s white roof black, apparently altering its appearance, according to the complaint.
Searches of his home, storage unit and another property where he sometimes stayed uncovered bicycles, suits, bags, glasses, gloves marked with black paint and a fake handgun.
Agents also recovered a prosthetic mask with a grey moustache and whiskers which they said matched the disguise seen in footage from both robberies. A second mask was found at the other residence.
Investigators further reported finding a handwritten journal titled: “God’s Best friend is a Bank Robber! Uncle Henry Cops and Robbers the world through the eyes of a Bank Robber.” The journal was dated 1 January 2021 and identified Sartin as its author.
At the time of the alleged offences, Sartin was on supervised release following a 10-year-and-one-month federal sentence linked to five bank robberies in Texas in 2016. Prosecutors say he used a similar mask and the same vehicle in those cases.
He had also been convicted in 2008 over an attempted bank robbery in Mississippi involving Halloween masks and disguises.
The latest case is being investigated by the FBI, the Largo Police Department and the St Petersburg Police Department. Sartin has not been convicted of the new allegations.
