ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A St. Petersburg man is accused of robbing two Tampa Bay banks while wearing an “old-man” mask, according to federal prosecutors.
David Sartin Jr., 40, faces two counts of bank robbery in connection with robberies in Largo on Aug. 24 and St. Petersburg on Sept. 15. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in federal prison on each count.
During both robberies, Sartin wore a prosthetic mask, demanded money from a teller and warned against including dye packs, according to court documents.
Investigators say Sartin used a bicycle and a getaway vehicle during the Largo robbery. Surveillance footage tied to the St. Petersburg robbery showed a vehicle leaving his home and returning, followed by a man resembling Sartin unloading a bicycle.
The next day, investigators watched Sartin spray-paint the vehicle’s white roof black.
Authorities said searches of Sartin’s home and a storage unit uncovered a bicycle, clothing and bags similar to those used in the robberies. Investigators also found an old-man mask with gray facial hair, glasses, gloves marked with black paint and a fake handgun.
At another home where Sartin sometimes stayed, agents found a second mask and a journal titled, in part, “God’s Best friend is a Bank Robber!”
Sartin was on supervised release after serving a federal sentence for five 2016 Texas bank robberies, where authorities say he used a similar mask and the same vehicle. He also had a 2008 federal conviction for attempted bank robbery using Halloween masks and disguises.
The FBI and police departments in Largo and St. Petersburg investigated the case.
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