Saturday, December 20, 2025

Largo Man Charged in Clearwater Bank Robberies Involving E-Bike Getaway

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TAMPA — United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced the arrest and filing of a federal criminal complaint charging the “E-bike Bandit” Shannon Luster, 49, of Largo, with bank robbery. He was arrested and booked into the Pinellas County Jail on Thursday, December 18, 2025.

According to the complaint, Luster is accused of robbing two banks in Clearwater at gunpoint. The first robbery occurred on November 5, 2025, and the second on December 9, 2025. In both incidents, investigators say Luster wore a hat and sunglasses and carried a laptop bag that concealed a firearm. Authorities allege he used an e-bike to flee after each robbery.

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Booking photo of Shannon Luster

The complaint states that Luster entered the banks, pointed a firearm at bank employees, and demanded to be taken to the teller tills, where he stole thousands of dollars before leaving the scene. An investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Clearwater Police Department identified Luster as the suspect.

Law enforcement officers later recovered a firearm and a laptop bag from a dumpster near Luster’s residence. Investigators also located the e-bike, clothing believed to have been worn during the robberies, and some of the stolen cash at his home.

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If convicted, Luster faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

In September 2025, the Mobile Home Park located at 249 Jasper Street filed a Complaint for Eviction with the courts. The park reported an outstanding balance of $1,938.86, which has since been paid to the Clerk of the Court for distribution. A subsequent payment of $986 was due on November 5, 2025, the same day as the first bank robbery. The mobile home park agreed to pause further legal action as long as all future payments are made on time.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Clearwater Police Department and will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yara Dodin. The prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative focused on violent crime, transnational criminal organizations, and coordinated enforcement through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.

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