Florida man robs Chase Bank with fake gun but ends up in real handcuffs, deputies say
A man robbed a Chase Bank earlier this week by putting his hand under his shirt to form the shape of a gun while demanding cash from the teller, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
Paul James Sinclair of the city of Largo is charged with second-degree robbery, court records show. The 56-year-old man was in the custody of the sheriff’s office as of Tuesday night.
On Monday, Sinclair entered a Chase Bank near the city of Seminole, walked toward the bank teller, implied he had a gun and demanded cash, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
According to investigators, Sinclair was given $120 in cash before he fled from the bank. But 10 minutes later, deputies say they found and arrested him near the crime scene.
Sinclair said he used the finger-gun technique to rob the bank, the sheriff’s office said.
Jail records show he is also awaiting trail on an unrelated charge of first-degree arson.
