POLICE PIN MMA'er IN OINS. HEIST
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He holds a 6-9 record as a fighter — and a 0-1 record as a bank robber.
An MMA fighter has been busted for swiping more than $45,000 from a Queens Citibank — less than a block from where he lives, cops said Friday. Sergio “The Savage” DaSilva made some not-so-slick moves in the brazen daylight robbery Aug. 24, police said.
“Don’t look at me. I have a gun. I will shoot you! Give me more money if you don’t want to get shot!” he allegedly snarled at three tellers at the Astoria bank before making off with $45,964 in cash.
Although he wears gloves for a living, the bantamweight apparently forgot to put on a pair this time — and cops were able to match fingerprints found at the scene with those taken from him during a 2008 arrest, police said.
The 31-year-old pugilist was pinched Thursday and pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of robbery in Queens Criminal Court. He was released Friday.
DaSilva was nowhere to be seen at his Steinway Street building later that day as police scoured his home, but neighbors said they couldn’t believe the married dad could be so stupid.
“Why would anyone rob a bank on the same block they live on — and for only $50,000? He makes more money in a fight. It doesn’t make sense,” Ruth Bayas sniped.
But DaSilva told Newsday recently that he makes only pocket change in the octagon and said he co-owns a limo company with his family and has worked “any other hustle” to make ends meet.
Four days after the robbery, he griped about his money troubles.
“Just went to Target for some of my kids school supplies. Walked out $240 closer to poverty. Still missing some items. And that’s only school supply not clothing. Am I being scammed?” he wrote on Facebook Monday.
Still, he claimed to have come into some cash by illegally taking bets on last week’s Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor fight.
“Easy money,” he wrote on Facebook, where he offered generous odds for a McGregor win.
DaSilva last fought in June in a Bellator bout at Madison Square Garden. At the weigh-in, he was caught trying to cheat by standing on the scale on one leg. Seven pounds over, he was still allowed to fight but lost to Matt Rizzo.