Police in New York on are the lookout for a dark lord of the Sith after a man dressed as Darth Vader held up the Chase bank in East Setauket Thursday.

The man entered the bank around 11:30, brandished a gun and demanded cash, telling cashiers and customers "This is not a joke!".

Witnesses say the man stuffed the money in a drawstring bag featuring a New York Yankees logo.

As he left the robber punched a customer who tried to stop him.

Police say the man was roughly six feet tall and was wearing camouflage pants in addition to the Darth Vader mask and cape.