Barefoot Bandit Attempts Amends, Commits $1 Million to Victims
Colton Harris-Moore, 20, more widely known by his criminal alias “The Barefoot Bandit,” wants to make amends for his 2010 burglary spree by giving $1 million back to his victims.
The youth’s lawyers are in the process of planning a deal that would sentence Harris-Moore to nine years in prison, but in return for the harsh judgment, those the bandit robbed would be entitled to profits from his book and movie deals.
Because of the spectacular thefts that included stealing two cars, a boat, and an airplane, Twentieth Century Fox purchased the rights to his story for $1 million. Harris-Moore will not profit from the money, choosing instead for it to be distributed over 100 of his victims.
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Surprisingly, after a criminal history spanning over 13 years, Harris-Moore is remorseful for the things he has done. Although he had been stealing and living in the wild since he was 7-year-old.
The Barefoot Bandit was worried that those he stole from would not be insured or repaid.
“’I really want to see folks get restitution before the money all gets spent otherwise,’” said the bandit through Mike Maki, a friend. “That’s justice, and that’s what [Colton would] like to see done.”
The bandit has a plethora of offenses attributed to him, including criminal activity in his home state of Washington, Idaho, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and even Canada. Although he was arrested often as a juvenile, by the time Harris-Moore was older, he had mastered thievery, eluding police and federal agents for over two years.
He finally slipped up when he seized a 44-foot powerboat, intending to head to a country without an extradition treaty to the United States- in this case; it was the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Authorities shot out the engine on the hijacked boat, and captured The Barefoot Bandit in the Bahamas. Information that led to his arrest was rewarded with $10,000.
Harris-Moore is expected to plead guilty to over 30 burglary charges from the Island, Snohomish, and San Juan counties. Prosecutors are asking for the maximum sentence.
The criminal’s regret is certainly one type of sentence.
“[Harris-Moore] knows he did something wrong,” Maki said.
Harris-Moore gained notoriety as The Barefoot Bandit after once leaving 39 chalk footprints at the scene of a crime, along with the word, “C’ya!”
Despite the lack of footwear associated with his survivalist lifestyle, Harris-Moore often wore shoes.
