Alleged Repeat Offender Accused of Robbing Florida Banks in Disguise
David Sartin Jr., aged 40 and residing in St. Petersburg, Florida, is accused of robbing two banks in the state while on supervised release. Federal authorities allege Sartin employed a familiar tactic, wearing an ‘old man’ prosthetic mask and using a getaway vehicle linked to his past crimes.
According to a criminal complaint, Sartin was previously sentenced to over 10 years in federal prison for a series of five bank robberies in Texas, during which he used a similar disguise. After his supervised release began in May 2025, he allegedly committed the recent robberies one year later.
Investigators claim Sartin first struck a Florida bank in August 2026. During these incidents, as stated by an FBI special agent in an affidavit, Sartin consistently used masks to conceal his identity.
“In all of Sartin Jr.’s bank robberies, he used a mask,” stated the special agent.
The first robbery reportedly occurred on August 24 at Valley Bank in Largo. Sartin is accused of entering in a straw hat, sports jacket, gloves, and a prosthetic face covering. He demanded money from a teller, specifically warning against the use of dye packs. After escaping with $2,900, he allegedly rode a bicycle to a nature preserve and used a Toyota FJ Cruiser as a getaway vehicle.
Surveillance footage and various videos from nearby businesses, city vehicles, and a school bus tracked the vehicle’s movements, which matched those used in Sartin’s previous Texas robberies.
On September 15, a similarly disguised individual entered a Truist Bank in St. Petersburg. Wearing a flat cap, glasses, sports jacket, and an ‘old man’ mask, Sartin allegedly demanded cash again, fleeing with around $2,554. Investigators reported that the teller suspected the presence of a mask due to the suspect’s movements.
By the time of the second robbery, the FBI monitored Sartin’s home with a surveillance camera. They captured the Toyota leaving before the incident and returning afterward, where Sartin was seen unloading a bicycle. He later attempted to change the vehicle’s appearance by spray-painting the roof.
A subsequent arrest on September 19 for breaching supervised release led to a search uncovering evidence such as a bicycle, clothing, an ‘old man’ mask, glasses, and a fake handgun believed to be used in the crimes.
Sartin’s criminal history dates back nearly two decades. In 2008, he was convicted of attempted bank robbery in Mississippi, involving Halloween masks. In 2018, he received over a decade-long sentence for the Texas bank robbery case.
If found guilty of the new charges, Sartin faces up to 20 years in prison for each count according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Stepheny Price, a writer at Fox News, covers news focused on the West Coast and Midwest, with stories on missing persons, crime, homicide, and border security.