Sarasota man charged in two robberies of the same branch

A man sheriff’s deputies say twice robbed the same credit union branch in about a month is in custody following his arrest this week.

Christopher A. Borchardt, a 25-year-old Sarasota man, was initially charged with two counts of robbery without a weapon, according to a statement from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and inmate records from Sarasota County Jail.

 The Sheriff’s Office said Borchardt’s arrest was the result of collaboration between several department units and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The USF Credit Union, 3487 Clark Road, was first robbed around noon on June 20. After escaping with cash, the robber was seen running toward Bronx Avenue, just west of the branch. On July 18, a man witnesses said resembled the first robber entered the branch, demanded money and ran off in the same direction. No one was hurt in either incident, and the amount of cash stolen was not disclosed.

In the July incident, a police account of the events shows a man entered the credit union around 2:30 p.m. and told a teller he was there to rob the branch again, demanding $8,000.

As the teller entered a code to dispense cash, the man said: "You better hurry up or those people are going to wish they weren't behind you.'' No weapon was seen. Police said the man who robbed the branch wore military fatigues with the insignia of an E-4 rank. Police reported that Borchardt is assigned to a National Guard unit in Southwest Florida. He holds the rank of an E-4 specialist, police said

Investigators connected Borchardt to the robberies, searched his home less than a block west of the credit union branch and arrested him. Jail inmate records show he was brought to Sarasota County jail on Friday. No bond was allowed, records show.

The investigation is ongoing, authorities said.