Man who won $19m in lottery pleads guilty to bank robbery

Agrees to surrend the car that earned him his 'PT Cruiser Bandit' nickname

The so-called "Seasoned Bandit" has pleaded guilty to four robberies (FBI)

A one-time lottery winner has pleaded guilty to multiple bank robberies in California.

Two decades after winning $19m (£13.6m) in the California Lottery, according to a Los Angeles Times report, James Allen Hayes pleaded guilty to four counts of bank robbery.

Over the course of robbing or attempting to rob 11 banks in the Los Angeles last year, Mr Hayes took just under $40,000 (£29,000), according to a plea agreement.

He typically passed a note to bank tellers demanding cash and in some instances threatening them that he had a gun, according to court documents.

Authorities had dubbed Hayes the “seasoned bandit”, a reference to his aged appearance.

“The moniker ‘Seasoned Bandit’ was assigned based on the bandit’s suspected age and grey-white hair”, the FBI said in a press release seeking information.

He was also known was the “PT Cruiser Bandit” because of the car he used in some of the robberies.

As part of his plea agreement, Mr Hayes agreed to forfeit a gold PT Cruiser that he had purchased using proceeds from previous bank robberies, according to the court document.