Armed Bank Robber Arrested In Clearwater

Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Shannon Luster (49, Largo) with bank robbery. If convicted, Luster faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. 

According to the complaint, Luster robbed two banks in Clearwater at gunpoint. He robbed the first bank on November 5, 2025, and the second on December 9, 2025. Each time, Luster was disguised with a hat, sunglasses, and carried a laptop bag that concealed his firearm. During each robbery, Luster used an e-bike as his getaway mode of transportation. Luster entered the banks, pointed his guns at the bankers, and demanded he be taken to the tills where he stole thousands of dollars before fleeing. An investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Clearwater Police Department determined that Luster was the perpetrator. Law enforcement located the firearm and laptop bag in a dumpster near Luster’s house. They also recovered the e-bike, clothing that appeared to be worn during the robberies, and some of the cash stolen during the robberies from Luster’s house.  

A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Clearwater Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yara Dodin.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).