‘Well-known’ chef accused of robbing three banks in one day in California

A man identified as a former head chef at two closed San Francisco Bay Area restaurants faces charges that he robbed three banks in one day, police and news reports say.

Valentino Luchin, 62, of San Francisco, was arrested Wednesday, Sept. 10, following the robberies of three banks in the city, San Francisco police said in a news release.

Luchin is the former head chef of two closed restaurants, Rose Pistola in North Beach and Ottavio in Walnut Creek, which he also owned, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

In 2018, Luchin was accused of stealing $18,000 from a bank in Orinda, following the closure of Ottavio in 2016, the East Bay Times reported. He told the publication that the closure left him in financial distress.

A man, later identified by investigators as Luchin, entered a bank on Grant Avenue, showed the teller a note demanding money, and fled with a bag of cash just after 12 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, San Francisco police said in the release.

Two other banks also in downtown San Francisco were robbed the same day in the same fashion, police said.

An investigation quickly identified Luchin as the suspect and he was arrested, police said. He faces charges of robbery and attempted robbery.

Following his 2018 arrest, Luchin, described by the East Bay Times as a “well-known chef,” told the publication that “everything went downhill” following the closure of his restaurant Ottavio.

“I thought it was a good plan,” Luchin said of robbing the bank. “But it was not.”

His LinkedIn page and a Take a Chef profile say Luchin has been working as a personal chef for hire.

This story was originally published September 15, 2025 at 9:59 AM with the headline "‘Well-known’ chef accused of robbing three banks in one day in California."