Photo: U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida
David Sartin Jr., a 40-year-old from St. Petersburg, Florida, faces charges for allegedly robbing two banks while wearing a prosthetic "old man" mask. Sartin was on supervised release for previous bank robberies when he committed these crimes.
The first robbery occurred on August 24 at a bank in Largo, where Sartin allegedly used a bicycle to approach the bank after parking his vehicle nearby. He reportedly demanded money without dye packs and escaped with $2,900, leaving behind the message, "until we meet again." The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that surveillance footage captured Sartin switching from a bicycle to a vehicle after the heist.
On September 15, Sartin allegedly struck again at a bank in St. Petersburg, making off with $2,554. Investigators linked him to the crime through surveillance images and a vehicle traced back to his home. Sartin used the same getaway vehicle as in his previous Texas robberies.
Authorities discovered a storage unit containing items used in the robberies, including the "old man" mask, glasses, and clothing. A journal titled "God’s Best friend is a Bank Robber!" was also found, allegedly written by Sartin.
Sartin's criminal history includes a 2018 conviction for five bank heists in Texas, where he used a similar disguise. He was sentenced to over 10 years in federal prison for those crimes. If convicted of the new charges, Sartin faces up to 20 years in prison for each count.