Florida Man Charged After Donning “Old‑Man” Mask in Two Bank Heists

Federal prosecutors in the Middle District of Florida have formally charged a 40‑year‑old Floridian, David Sartin Jr., with two separate bank robberies that took place in August and September of this year. The bizarre part? He allegedly showed up at each teller window wearing a mask that made him look like a bearded, grey‑mustached senior.

According to a criminal complaint filed on Oct. 14, investigators seized a storage unit linked to Sartin Jr. that held a counterfeit handgun and, most tellingly, an “old man” mask complete with faux whiskers. The mask matches the one captured on surveillance footage from both Financial Institution #1 and Financial Institution #2.

When police later searched a house where Sartin sometimes stayed, they uncovered a curious notebook dated Jan. 1, 2021. Its title reads, “God’s Best friend is a Bank Robber! Uncle Henry Cops and Robbers the world through the eyes of a Bank Robber.” One page even featured a crude drawing of a figure holding a mask with the handwritten note, “My face holding up uncle Henry, looking at it, Face to Face.” The entry was signed “David Sartin.”

What makes the case even more striking is that Sartin was on supervised release at the time of the robberies. He had previously been sentenced for a string of five bank robberies in Texas back in 2016, for which he wore a similar disguise. Earlier still, he’d been convicted of attempted bank robbery in 2008.

Law enforcement officials say the mask, the fake gun, and the notebook all point to Sartin as the perpetrator. He now faces federal charges that could add years to his already‑lengthy criminal record.

ABC News has reached out to the defense attorney listed on Sartin’s court docket for comment. No comment has been received as of this writing.