Tampa, Florida – David Sartin, Jr. (40, St. Petersburg) has been charged by criminal complaint with two counts of bank robbery. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, on August 24, 2026, Sartin robbed a bank in Largo. On September 15, 2026, he robbed a bank in St. Petersburg. During both robberies, Sartin entered the bank wearing a prosthetic “old man” mask, approached the teller counter and demanded money, and instructed the teller not to include dye packs.
The investigation revealed that Sartin had arrived at a nearby gas station shortly before the first robbery, then drove through the surrounding area before parking, switching to a bicycle, and approaching the bank. After the robbery, Sartin fled on the bicycle, retrieved the staged vehicle, and drove away. The vehicle was later seen on multiple nearby roadways heading in the direction of his residence.
Video surveillance captured a vehicle leaving Sartin’s home before the second robbery and returning afterwards. When the vehicle returned to the residence, a white male resembling Sartin was seen unloading a bicycle from the vehicle and rolling it toward the residence. The next day, investigators observed Sartin spray paint the vehicle’s white roof black, making the entire vehicle appear black in color.
A search of Sartin’s residence uncovered a bicycle, a blue suit, and a black bag, all similar to the items used during the first robbery. A black suit similar to the one used during the second robbery was also recovered. Investigators also seized materials covered in black spray paint and a receipt for clothing purchased the day before the second robbery.
A search of Sartin’s storage unit revealed a backpack and laptop bag containing disguise items matching those seen in the surveillance footage from the robberies, including the old‑man mask with grey facial hair, dark‑framed glasses, and work gloves with black paint on them. The bags also contained a fake handgun and clothing consistent with the disguise worn during the second robbery, including a white dress shirt with black studs, a pinstriped sports coat, a dark blue flat cap, and black dress shoes and pants.
Agents also searched another residence where Sartin occasionally stayed. There, they found several items, including a prosthetic mask different from the one used in the robberies and a 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 “Jan 1, 2021,” and was “written by: David Sartin.” One of the pages had a drawing of a character holding up a mask along with the handwritten phrase, “My face holding up uncle Henry, looking at it, Face to Face.”
At the time of the robberies, Sartin was on supervised release for a 2018 federal conviction stemming from five bank robberies he had committed in Texas in 2016. During these robberies, he wore a similar mask and used the same vehicle he used during the robberies he is charged with now. Sartin was sentenced to 10 years and 1 month in federal prison. Prior to that, in 2008, Sartin was convicted in federal court of attempted bank robbery after he and a co-conspirator had tried robbing a bank wearing Halloween masks and disguises.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Largo Police Department, and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Belkis H. Callaos.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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