'Barefoot Bandit' gets 6.5 years on federal charges
January 27th, 2012
04:07 PM ET

'Barefoot Bandit' gets 6.5 years on federal charges

A judge in Washington state has sentenced Colton Harris-Moore, whom authorities dubbed the Barefoot Bandit, to six and a half years in prison on federal charges of stealing an airplane, piloting it without a license, burglarizing a bank and possessing a firearm as a fugitive.

The federal sentence will run concurrently with his state imprisonment of seven years and three months, the judge ruled.

Harris-Moore gained notoriety - including 50,000 Facebook fans and a movie deal - for leading authorities on a two-year manhunt while eluding capture in stolen boats, cars and planes, often while barefoot, authorities said. He once left chalk outlines of bare footprints at one crime scene and was finally arrested in July 2010 after he was captured in the Bahamas.

 Post by:
Filed under: Courts • Crime • Justice • Washington state
soundoff (19 Responses)
  1. healingbreeze7

    Courts probably took into account his past for the amount of time. It couldn't have been easy for him to live like that for so long. Time for him to grow-up though & take responsiblity.

    January 27, 2012 at 5:19 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Portland tony

    Screen play has been written. He'll gross maybe $2M. This guy had one hell a good coming-of-age story. Probably be out in 4 years.

    January 27, 2012 at 5:36 pm | Report abuse |
    • Martin

      I wonder if the "coming of age" part will include all of his pin-cushion trysts from the Joint.?
      Now that's the real Coming Of Age story here.

      January 29, 2012 at 2:24 am | Report abuse |
  3. leeintulsa

    so you can steal a *plane*, rob a bank, be on the lam spending it.. and get six and a half years? might have to get me some of that...

    January 27, 2012 at 5:40 pm | Report abuse |
  4. BOMBO ©

    Now that brings up an interesting question. IF they let you keep the money (yes, I know they wouldn't really) how much prison time would you do to be set for life financially?

    January 27, 2012 at 5:47 pm | Report abuse |
  5. rooney©

    There may be a book and movie deals but he agreed, as part of his plea deal, to give up any profits that may come from them.

    January 27, 2012 at 6:02 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Blck

    If he was a Black 20 year old dude, he would easily get 20-50 years in jail without parole.

    January 27, 2012 at 6:05 pm | Report abuse |
  7. bdchld

    Everyone one time or another has had a bad childhood. You don't see them everyone committing crimes all the time.

    January 27, 2012 at 6:07 pm | Report abuse |
  8. banasy©

    Wait, wait....his federal sentences are going to run at the same time as his state sentences?
    Doesn't anyone else see anything wrong with this?

    January 27, 2012 at 7:35 pm | Report abuse |
    • Mecic10

      Welcome to the bleeding heart capital of the world, formerly known as the United States of America! A country run by criminals for criminals. The hard working citizens are just here to support them.

      January 30, 2012 at 8:54 am | Report abuse |
  9. bobcat (in a hat) ©

    Yeah, I've never understood how they make sentences from two different systems run concurrently. It would seem that after the one sentence was up, it would switch to the other jurisdiction. Only in america.

    January 27, 2012 at 7:57 pm | Report abuse |
  10. Fat Rat

    I read where it said 61.5yrs i could be wrong

    January 28, 2012 at 10:45 am | Report abuse |
  11. banasy©

    Ronnie@, (and the Prophet)

    This guys didn't kill anyone.
    Therefore, why should he be put to death?

    January 28, 2012 at 11:15 am | Report abuse |
  12. Tim

    Force him to wear shoes for the rest of his life.

    January 28, 2012 at 11:21 am | Report abuse |
  13. George Jetson

    @ banasy©, Good catch. I think the jails are so over-crowded that the judicial system has decided to start BLEEDING sentences together when applicable.

    January 28, 2012 at 1:35 pm | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      Are federal prisons more crowded than state prisons?
      I wouldn't think so...but then it's my opinion that the sentences run consecutively...more time...otherwise, why bother with the expense of two trials...?

      January 28, 2012 at 2:37 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Philip

    HOGWASH banasy HOGWASH

    January 28, 2012 at 11:06 pm | Report abuse |
    • BOMBO ©

      Oh good. Now we have a place to take our dirty hogs. How much do you charge?

      January 29, 2012 at 12:22 am | Report abuse |
  15. Tcr c2

    Go from one jurisdiction to another, will sure all the two systems have to do is charge the FEDS / state systems twice what it really costs and they make money on the bare foot guy its an easy game to play for both systems. They just steal from each other

    January 28, 2012 at 11:37 pm | Report abuse |
« Back to main