The “hardhat bandit” is headed back to prison.
A Brooklyn man with a long history of robbing banks while dressed as a construction worker was sentenced today to 7 ½ years in prison.
Bertrand Burchard, 41, was caught in 2003 and charged with sticking up 12 banks in Brooklyn and Queens for about $45,000, all while wearing a dust mask, orange reflective vest, and work boots – and keeping a revolver underneath his red construction helmet.
He served nine years and was released in 2011.
“He just got out of prison, he was out about eight months, and he started committing bank robberies,” Judge Leo Glasser said in Brooklyn federal court today.
Burchard was caught for the two recent robberies in January. The note he passed a teller in the first heist read, “DON’T LET ME USE THIS $100’s + $50’s NO DYE PACKS I’m hungry $20,000.00 Don’t be a hero go home safe.”
Burchard was hit with 6 ½ years for the two newest robberies and another year for violating his supervised release – plus $19,033 in restitution.
jsaul@nypost.com