The chef who used a BB gun and his own car to rob an Orinda Citibank of about $18,000 in 2018 is heading back to court on federal bank robbery charges.

Valentino Giovanni Luchin, now in his 60s, has set a late-August court date to change his plea to guilty in a three-count case stemming from alleged bank robberies at three San Francisco locations on Sept. 10, 2025, the East Bay Times reported. The plea hearing was originally scheduled for July but was delayed while court officials evaluate whether Luchin qualifies for a Conviction Alternatives Program that could spare him a lengthy prison sentence.

The Orinda case made local headlines in May 2018. Luchin walked into the Citibank branch, announced a holdup and left with the cash. The Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office, which provides contract police services to Orinda, tracked him down and arrested him within hours.

He used his own car as the getaway vehicle.

In a jailhouse interview at the time, Luchin told KGO-TV he had walked in and said, "Good morning. Nobody move. This is a robbery." He blamed financial desperation after his restaurant, Ottavio in downtown Walnut Creek, closed in 2016.

Luchin pleaded no contest to one count of second-degree robbery and was sentenced to one year in county jail and three years of probation, according to Contra Costa County District Attorney's spokesperson Ted Asregadoo, as reported by the AP.

The new federal charges allege Luchin passed demand notes at banks on the 100 block of Grant Avenue, the 400 block of Columbus Avenue and the 1400 block of Stockton Street in San Francisco. He succeeded twice and netted about $2,800 total; a third attempt failed. Police arrested him the same day.

Luchin was indicted in January 2026 and initially pleaded not guilty. A federal magistrate approved his release in February, and he has remained out of custody since.

Deputy Public Defender Kwixuan H. Maloof said in a Sept. 16, 2025, statement to the AP that Luchin "is a talented chef and kind person who found himself in a 'desperate' financial situation recently," adding that a position was offered and later withdrawn, putting Luchin into a "state of depression."

According to the East Bay Times, three factors work in Luchin's favor for the diversion program: his age, his lifetime of restaurant work and the lack of sophistication in his alleged crimes. The Conviction Alternatives Program in the Northern District of California is a post-plea, presentence track that can result in dismissed charges or a non-custodial sentence for defendants with risk factors such as addiction or prior felony convictions.

Even if Luchin enters a guilty plea in late August as scheduled, he will likely remain free until sentencing. A date for that hearing has not been set.

Residents with information related to crimes in Orinda can contact the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office at (925) 313-2600 or [email protected].