Barefoot Bandit Gets 6 1/2 Years

Colton Harris-Moore sentenced for international crime spree
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jan 27, 2012 3:27 PM CST
Barefoot Bandit Gets 6 1/2 Years
In this Dec. 16, 2011 file photo, Colton Harris-Moore glances at the courtroom gallery as he walks to the defense table, in Island County Superior Court, in Coupeville, Wash.   (Ted S. Warren)

A federal judge today sentenced "Barefoot Bandit" Colton Harris-Moore to 6 1/2 years in prison for his infamous two-year, international crime spree of break-ins and boat and plane thefts that ended in 2010. Harris-Moore apologized to his victims shortly before US Judge Richard Jones imposed the sentence, which will be served concurrently with state prison time. "I now know a crime that took place overnight will take years to recover from," the 20-year-old said in court.

He particularly apologized for stealing planes, saying his arrogance led him to keep alive his dream of flying. "What I did could be called daring, but it is no stretch of the imagination to say that am lucky to be alive ... absolutely lucky," he said. "I should have died years ago." Before today's sentencing, defense attorneys said federal prosecutors released cherry-picked excerpts from emails in an effort to make Harris-Moore appear callous and self-aggrandizing, but they claim the full emails show that he is sorry for what he did. (More Colton Harris-Moore stories.)

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