A recovered prosthetic mask, left, and a surveillance image of the suspect in a Florida bank robbery. Federal authorities accuse David Sartin Jr. of committing two holdups while wearing an “old man” disguise. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida)
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A convicted bank robber allegedly returned to a familiar disguise while robbing two Florida banks on supervised release, donning an “old man” mask and fleeing in a getaway vehicle tied to his earlier crimes, federal authorities said.
David Sartin Jr., 40, of St. Petersburg, faces two bank robbery charges after investigators say he targeted banks weeks apart while concealing his face behind a prosthetic mask with gray facial hair.
The allegations follow a sentence of more than 10 years in federal prison in a case involving five Texas bank robberies, during which Sartin wore a similar disguise, according to a criminal complaint reviewed by Fox News Digital.
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A surveillance image shows the disguised suspect during the Sept. 15, 2026, robbery of a Truist Bank in St. Petersburg, Florida. Federal authorities allege the robber was David Sartin Jr. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida)
His supervised release began in May 2025. Investigators allege he robbed the first Florida bank in August 2026.
“In all of SARTIN JR.’s bank robberies, he used a mask,” an FBI special agent wrote in the affidavit.
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Surveillance images and recovered gloves appear in evidence outlined in the federal bank robbery case against David Sartin Jr. Investigators say the gloves match those worn during the Florida holdups. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida)
The first holdup happened Aug. 24 at Valley Bank in Largo, where the suspect entered wearing a straw hat, sports jacket, gloves and a prosthetic face covering, according to investigators.
He approached a teller, demanded money and warned, “no dye packs,” the complaint states.
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As the teller gathered cash and activated a silent alarm, the robber repeatedly urged the employee to hurry, a bank manager told investigators.
“Until we meet again,” the suspect said after collecting the money, according to the manager’s account.
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Surveillance video shows the suspect riding a bicycle near the scene of the Aug. 24, 2026, bank robbery in Largo, Florida. Investigators allege David Sartin Jr. used a bicycle to travel between the bank and a staged getaway vehicle. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida)
Authorities say he escaped with $2,900, wedging a yellow wet-floor sign between the exit doors before fleeing toward a nearby church.
Surveillance video showed the suspect retrieving a bicycle, riding into a nature preserve and leaving the area in a Toyota FJ Cruiser, according to the affidavit.
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Investigators traced the vehicle’s movements through video from surrounding businesses, city trucks, a police cruiser and a school bus. The Toyota was the same vehicle used in several of Sartin’s earlier Texas robberies, authorities said.
On Sept. 15, a similarly disguised suspect entered a Truist Bank in St. Petersburg wearing a flat cap, glasses, a sports jacket and an “old man” mask with a gray mustache and whiskers.
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An open backpack contains a prosthetic mask, glasses and clothing recovered from David Sartin Jr.’s storage unit, according to a federal criminal complaint. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida)
He handed a teller a note demanding cash without dye and fled with approximately $2,554, according to the complaint.
The teller suspected the man was wearing a mask and told investigators he “did not move like an old man would,” the FBI agent wrote.
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An “old man” mask recovered during the investigation into David Sartin Jr., whom federal authorities accuse of wearing an elderly disguise during two Florida bank robberies. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida)
By then, the FBI was monitoring Sartin’s home with a surveillance camera. Video captured the Toyota leaving before the second robbery and returning afterward, when a man resembling Sartin unloaded a bicycle, according to the affidavit.
The following evening, investigators watched Sartin change the vehicle’s appearance. Investigators said he spray-painted the vehicle’s white roof black.
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A prosthetic “old man” mask and glasses were recovered as evidence in the federal investigation into two Florida bank robberies allegedly committed by David Sartin Jr. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida)
Sartin was arrested Sept. 19 on a warrant for violating his supervised release. Searches uncovered a bicycle and clothing similar to those seen in the robbery video, authorities said.
Agents searching his storage unit found an “old man” mask they said matched the disguise worn during both robberies, along with glasses, clothing and a fake handgun.
In a guest room where Sartin occasionally stayed, investigators also found another mask and a journal identifying him as its author. Its title page included the words, “God’s Best friend is a Bank Robber!” according to the complaint.
Sartin’s previous convictions stretch back nearly two decades. He was convicted of attempted bank robbery in Mississippi in 2008 following a failed holdup involving Halloween masks and disguises.
In 2018, he was sentenced to 10 years and one month in federal prison in the Texas bank robbery case.
He now faces up to 20 years in prison on each new robbery count if convicted, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
