Serial Bank Robber on Supervised Release Allegedly Struck Again Using Signature ‘Old Man’ Disguise
Same disguise, same getaway SUV — federal prosecutors say he never stopped
Federal prosecutors say a 40-year-old St. Petersburg man exploited his supervised release to commit two bank robberies in less than a month, reviving the same prosthetic disguise that marked his earlier crime spree across Texas.
David Sartin Jr. walked out of federal prison in May 2025 after serving more than a decade for five bank robberies in Texas. Less than 15 months later, investigators allege, he was back at it — this time in Florida, wearing a gray-whiskered “old man” mask, gloves, and a straw hat.
The first Florida holdup occurred Aug. 24 at a Valley Bank in Largo. The second, on Sept. 15, targeted a Truist Bank in St. Petersburg. In both, the robber demanded cash with no dye packs, fled on a bicycle, and disappeared into a waiting Toyota FJ Cruiser — the same vehicle linked to his Texas crimes, according to an FBI affidavit.
Surveillance networks, including city cameras, a school bus, and a police cruiser, tracked the Toyota’s movements. Agents had already placed Sartin’s home under watch. Video captured the vehicle leaving before the second robbery and returning afterward, with a man resembling Sartin unloading a bicycle.
The following evening, investigators watched him spray-paint the SUV’s white roof black — an apparent attempt to alter its appearance.
A search of Sartin’s storage unit turned up the prosthetic mask, glasses, clothing matching the surveillance footage, and a fake handgun. In a guest room he occasionally used, agents found a second mask and a journal whose title page read, “God’s Best friend is a Bank Robber!” according to the criminal complaint.
Sartin’s record stretches back to 2008, when he was convicted of attempted bank robbery in Mississippi after a failed heist involving Halloween masks. The Texas case added 10 years and one month. Now, each new count carries up to 20 years.
The case raises familiar questions about the supervision of high-risk repeat offenders. Sartin was not electronically monitored at the time of the Florida robberies, a U.S. Probation Office spokesperson confirmed. His supervised release terms required regular check-ins and employment verification, but did not include GPS tracking.
“He knew the system,” said a former federal prosecutor not involved in the case. “He knew the gaps.”
Sartin was arrested Sept. 19 on a supervised release violation warrant. The bank robbery charges followed. He remains in federal custody pending trial.
