colton harris moore
The notorious "Barefoot Bandit," the teenager from Camano Island, Wash. who made international headlines, is charged with two more crimes. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

New criminal charges for the 'Barefoot Bandit'

BY Tim Haeck  on February 20, 2013 @ 1:37 pm (Updated: 3:45 pm - 2/20/13 )

The notorious "Barefoot Bandit," the teenager from Camano Island, Wash. who made international headlines, is charged with two more crimes.

The prosecutor in Skagit County, Rich Weyrich has charged Colton Harris-Moore, now 21, in connection with the theft of an airplane in 2010, allegedly part of a lengthy crime spree centered mostly in the San Juan Islands. The airplane, stolen from Arlington, sustained minimal damage when it landed on Orcas Island.

Then a teenager, Harris-Moore wad dubbed the "Barefoot Bandit" because footprints and outlines of footprints were left at some crime scenes.

Weyrich gives no explanation for the timing of the charges. "He has to be held accountable for what he did in Skagit County."

Harris-Moore is serving a 6-1/2 year prison sentence after he pleaded guilty in Island County and in federal court in Seattle to multiple felony counts following lengthy negotiations involving multiple jurisdictions. Weyrich was not a part of those discussions and re-filed charges he originally filed in 2010.

"I'm not going to make any comment on what other counties or the federal government did, or didn't do," said Weyrich.

Harris-Moore's attorney, John Henry Browne tells The Seattle Times the charges a "horrendous waste of time."

Weyrich acknowledges that a judge in Skagit County could sentence Harris-Moore to the time he's already doing in state prison. But he wouldn't comment on his sentencing recommendation if Harris-Moore is convicted of the two new charges.

Harris-Moore was captured in July 2010 after stealing an airplane in Indiana and crash landing it in the Bahamas. He is due in court Feb. 28 in Mount Vernon to enter pleas to charges of burglary and theft.

Tim Haeck, KIRO Radio Reporter
Tim Haeck is a news reporter with KIRO Radio. While Tim is one of our go-to, no-nonsense reporters, he also has a sensationally dry sense of humor and it will surprise some to learn he is a weekend warrior.
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Comments (7)


  • Add A Comment

  • ToldYa wrote...
    horrendous waste of time
    February 20, 2013 2:01 pm
    for justice to be served?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • O-town listener wrote...
    No doubt ToldYa..
    February 20, 2013 2:37 pm
    But, not much else he can do to offer a defense but try and get public opinion to get the charges dropped. Not that it will be successful at all.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • shark75 wrote...
    Good: Keep him locked up after he's done being locked up
    February 20, 2013 5:07 pm
    I don't mind my tax money being spent on prosecution/prisons. Do the crime, do the time. I'm happy to pay for your four walls and a ceiling.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Cash wrote...
    I guess if he stole Johnny plane
    February 20, 2013 7:25 pm
    The would be different... This kid did a ton of damage to a lot of different people and I have no problem with this DA holding out and letting a jury decide his fate for his crimes in his County.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • John wrote...
    Waste of time? Waste of time???
    February 20, 2013 9:50 pm
    Not quite. He needs to be held accountable. Good job Mr. Prosecutor!
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • DavidW wrote...
    Not a Waste of Time
    February 20, 2013 10:08 pm
    He should get everything that he deserves. His mother should also get some obstruction charges.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Silverado wrote...
    Overpaid & Underworked Prosecutor Creating Yet More Havok
    February 21, 2013 1:03 am
    He's served enough time and needs to be left alone, especially by publicity seeking & obviously overpaid, vindictive prosecutors that apparently have nothing better to do. He should also be free to pursue any opportunities that come his way so he can pay restitution. All this nonsense about keeping this kid locked up is coming from people who can't count anyway. They can't count?? Seemingly not as we have way, way, way too many people behind bars now that don't belong there for one. And number two as a tax paying citizen that's about had enough tax raising for one lifetime, I RESENT my tax money being spent like that. We as a society can't afford NOR IS IT MORALLY RIGHT keeping thousands of our fellow NON-VIOLENT "law breakers" behind those expensive bars, especially in a tight economy like we find ourselves in. We lock up more people in America on a percentage basis than anywhere else in the world - boy there's something to be proud of as a country, huh?? These people (and this kid as well) belong working at a job being paid a fair wage for what they do so they can make restitution, instead of costing all of us thousands of dollars per year locked up in cages that serve only to keep the prison guards employed and their unions telling us the world would end should we get all the non-violent drug offenders out from behind bars. Anyway, now that we as a state legalized marijuana let's finish the job. And that's the full pardon & release of ALL non-violent drug offenders, which is not only the morally right thing to do, economically it's the ONLY thing we can do. We can't afford this any longer. It's time to move on, folks. There's nothing left here to see....
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }