San Francisco chef allegedly robs 3 bank branches due to financial strugglesPhoto: Adobe StockSeptember 19, 2025Valentino Luchin, 62, a chef from San Francisco, is accused of robbing three bank branches in one day. In each case, an individual approached the teller and gave a note demanding cash, according to a NBC News report. Luchin has held a variety of chef roles, including at Rose Pistola, and once owned his own Italian restaurant that closed in 2016. Kwixunan Maloof, a San Francisco County public defender, is representing Luchin in the latest criminal allegation and called Luchin, a "talented chef and a king person who recently found himself in a desperate financial situation," according to the news report. The charges against him are totally overblown, and the government is trying to stretch the law to fit facts that simply are not there," Maloof told the news outlet.