‘Fedora Bandit’ gets nine years in prison

SACRAMENTO — The former Carson City man dubbed the Fedora Bandit was sentenced to nine years in California federal prison Friday.

David Osborne, 75, who admitted committing a series of bank robberies including two at Lake Tahoe and one in Carson City, pleaded guilty to three of the seven crimes.

He earned his moniker because in each of the robberies, Osborne wore a hat, sunglasses, a fake mustache and a goatee.

He pleaded guilty Jan. 11 to robbing a Bank of the West branch in Gridley, Calif., in April 2010; an American River Bank in Rancho Cordova, Calif., in June 2010; and a Chase Bank in Paradise, Calif., also in June 2010.

He admitted to four other bank robberies and has been ordered to pay $55,929 in restitution for all seven robberies.

Osborne robbed a Bank of the West branch in South Lake Tahoe in February 2010, telling the teller it was a “hold-up” while putting his hand on a silver starter pistol in his waistband. He left with $5,450 in cash. Less than a month later, he robbed the Bank of the West branch in Kings Beach and took $5,634 in cash. He also robbed a Bank of the West branch in Grass Valley, Calif., in December 2009 and again in March 2010.

He also admitted to robbing the Bank of the West at 2976 N. Carson St.

Osborne was identified through surveillance video from the banks and DNA obtained from an abandoned bicycle used to flee one of the banks.

When the arrest warrant was issued, Osborne already was serving three years in the Federal Correctional Institution in Lompoc, Calif., on drug-trafficking charges.

The judge could have sentenced Osborne to as much as 25 years on each count. He must serve nine years in prison followed by three years of supervised release, according to U.S. Attorney Ben Wagner.