A convicted bank robber, David Sartin Jr., allegedly reverted to his criminal playbook, donning an ‘old man’ mask and employing a familiar getaway vehicle to commit two bank heists in Florida while on supervised release, federal authorities revealed. Sartin, who previously served over 10 years for five Texas bank robberies where he also utilized a similar disguise, is accused of targeting two Florida banks weeks apart, concealing his identity with a prosthetic mask featuring gray facial hair. The first robbery occurred at Valley Bank in Largo on August 24, where the suspect, described as wearing a straw hat and sports jacket, demanded money from a teller, specifically warning against dye packs, and fled with $2,900 in a Toyota FJ Cruiser that investigators later linked to his prior Texas offenses. Just weeks later, on September 15, a similarly disguised individual robbed a Truist Bank in St. Petersburg of approximately $2,554, with witnesses noting the suspect didn’t move like an elderly person. Federal surveillance, which was monitoring Sartin’s residence, captured the Toyota leaving before the second robbery and returning afterward, and investigators observed Sartin later spray-painting the vehicle’s roof to alter its appearance. A subsequent search uncovered an ‘old man’ mask matching the one used in both robberies, along with other disguise materials and a journal with a title proclaiming, ‘God’s Best friend is a Bank Robber!’ Sartin, whose prior convictions date back to 2008, now faces up to 20 years per count if convicted of these new charges.
Adapted from: U.S. News Today on Fox News
