Homeless man pleads guilty to ‘2K bandit’ bank robberies

A homeless serial bank robber known as the “2K bandit” has admitted to heists at a dozen banks across Orange County.

Mark Moore, 47, pleaded guilty Feb. 20 to 12 counts of second-degree robbery, with two sentencing enhancements for use of a firearm, according to court records.

Moore is likely to be sentenced to 12 years in state prison at a hearing next week, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office. Had his case gone to trial, he could have faced a maximum of 27 years in prison, prosecutors said.

According to the FBI, all the robberies happened in December and January. Four were in Costa Mesa. Others were in Huntington Beach, San Clemente, Buena Park, Tustin and Orange, authorities said.

Officials said Moore was dubbed the 2K bandit because he often used a note demanding “two thousand dollars.”

“The suspect also made verbal demands and threatened victims,” the FBI said in a news release this month. “In some cases, the suspect indicated that victims were in further danger if they did not comply with his demands.”

Police arrested Moore on Feb. 6 when a Tustin detective performing surveillance as part of a joint investigation recognized Moore in Buena Park.

Moore was living as a transient throughout Orange County, authorities said.

He is behind bars with bail set at $1 million.