SANTA ANA, Calif.—A South Bay man dubbed “Green Gaiter Bandit” was sentenced on June 8, to 3 years and 10 months in federal prison after admitting to robbing three banks in Orange County.
Christopher Paul Daniels, 55, of Torrance, was arrested in March for suspected bank robberies throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties, which date back to October 2021.
Daniels was arrested in Palos Verdes Estates while in a white Toyota Yaris, the same car he drove in some robberies, the FBI announced in March.
During the court hearing in April, he pleaded guilty to robbing a U.S. Bank in Mission Viejo, a Chase Bank in Fullerton, and a Bank of the West in Fullerton, according to court records.
In addition to sentencing him to nearly 4 years in prison, he was also ordered by U.S. District Judge David O. Carter to pay $15,362 in restitution.
Previously, the complaint charged him with bank robberies or attempted robberies at four banks and accused Daniels as a suspect in at least eight other robberies, said the authorities.
The name “Green Gaiter bandit” was given to him by the FBI based on the green camouflage gaiter face or neck covering he wore in some bank surveillance photos. He has also worn gaiters or a mask in other colors or designs during robberies, according to the FBI.
