ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WWSB) – A St. Petersburg man has been charged with robbing two Tampa Bay-area banks, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said Monday.
David Sartin, Jr., 40, who has previously served time in prison for bank robbery in Texas, faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count.
According to court documents, on Aug. 24, Sartin allegedly robbed a bank in Largo. On Sept. 15, prosecutors say he robbed another bank in St. Petersburg.
During both robberies, Sartin entered the bank wearing a prosthetic “old man” mask, approached the teller counter and demanded money, instructing the teller not to include dye packs.
Investigators believe Sartin parked his car near the bank, switched to a bicycle and approached the bank.
After the robbery, Sartin fled on the bicycle, retrieved the vehicle, and drove away.
Video surveillance of Sartin’s home captured footage of a white male resembling Sartin 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 home uncovered a bicycle, a blue suit, and a black bag, all similar to the items used during the first robbery.
A search of Sartin’s storage unit revealed a backpack and laptop bag containing the 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.
Agents also searched another house where Sartin occasionally stayed. 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.”
Sartin was on supervised release for a 2018 federal conviction stemming from five bank robberies he had committed, also using a mask, in Texas in 2016.
In 2008, Sartin was convicted of attempted bank robbery after he and a co-conspirator had tried robbing a bank wearing Halloween masks and disguises.
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