Bank Robber Who Dressed As Woman Gets 6 Years In Federal Prison

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A Los Angeles man was sentenced to six years in federal prison for committing four bank robberies, including one heist in which he was disguised as a woman.

Darryl J. Depastino, whom the FBI dubbed the "Masquerade Bandit," pleaded guilty in Los Angeles federal court last year to the robberies. The 49-year-old was arrested in December 2009, shortly after robbing a Guaranty Bank near UC Riverside, police said.

Riverside police Detective Rick Cobb said Depastino wore a wig and makeup to conceal his identity during the heist. Cobb said bank employees noticed the suspect had a five o'clock shadow showing through his facial makeup.

Along with the prison term, U.S. District Judge S. James Otero ordered Depastino to pay restitution of about $7,000.

The stick-ups were intimidating and frightening, according to prosecutors, who said that in at least two of the heists, the defendant pretended he was carrying a weapon.

Demand notes included such phrases as: "Quick, or I start shooting my way out" and "Just hand it over or I will shoot my way out," court documents show.

Prosecutors said the defendant's criminal history includes more than two-dozen contacts with law enforcement, from 1984 to the present, most of them leading to criminal convictions.

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