‘Double Hat Bandit’ pleads guilty to robbing 4 banks in Utah, 14 in other states

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, June 6, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — A serial bank robber dubbed the “Double Hat Bandit” for his preferred head wear has accepted a deal after pleading guilty to 18 robberies in Utah, Oregon, Colorado, Washington, Iowa and Ohio.

Shayne Carson, 54, will be sentenced on August 15 in the Salt Lake City courtroom of U.S. District Judge Jill Parrish.

Carson’s plea deal stipulates that he must serve between 12 and 15 years in jail and pay restitution in an amount to be determined at sentencing.

According to a statement from the Department of Justice, District of Utah, Carson took between $834 and $8,377 in each of the robberies.

The statement says that in Utah, Carson robbed US Banks at four locations:

• West Valley City, at 4065 S. Redwood Road, on Dec. 19, 2016
• West Jordan, at 4080 W. 900 South and 7061 S. Redwood Road, both on Dec. 27, 2016
• Salt Lake City, at 922 E. 2100 South, on June 1, 2017

Carson also robbed four financial institutions in Oregon, three each in Colorado and Washington, one in Idaho, two in Iowa and one in Ohio, the statement says.

“In the majority of the robberies, Carson admitted he told the teller he had a gun, and in some cases, he admitted he brandished what appeared to be a handgun during the robbery,” the DOJ statement says. “Law enforcement authorities now believe the handgun was not a real firearm.”