Barefoot Bandit, Facing 10 Years in Prison, Pleads Not Guilty

Colton Harris-Moore, dubbed the "Barefoot Bandit," has pleaded not guilty to five federal charges, as reported by CNN in Seattle, Washington.

Harris-Moore, held in solitary confinement for the past four months, has been accused of stealing, and flying, airplanes without the benefit of a pilot's license. The charges against him also include transporting a stolen aircraft and transporting a stolen firearm.

Operating a plane without a license carries up to a three-year sentence.  Four of the other charges, carrying up to a ten-year sentence, also include a $250,000 fine.  The trial is set for January 18, 2011.

Besides stealing and crashing up to five airplanes, Harris-Moore, 19, has also been accused of a multi-state crime spree.  Federal prosecutors allege that the young man has burgled homes, committed online identity thefts, and stolen cars and boats.  They believe that he could be responsible for up to 100 criminal acts.

The "Barefoot Bandit" has been on the run - sometimes without the benefit of shoes - since 2008.  It began when he pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary, was sent to a Washington state halfway house and then went AWOL.

Harris-Moore was finally apprehended in the Bahamas this past July.  It is alleged that he flew, and then crashed, a plane he had stolen in Indiana.  Bahamian officials were able to arrest him after shooting out the engine of a boat he allegedly stole after he lost the plane.

Harris-Moore, at 6 ½ feet tall, looked only at the ground while surrounded by state marshals in court during a short hearing.

John Henry Browne, Harris-Moore's attorney, entered his plea of not guilty.  Harris-Moore only spoke to Magistrate Judge Mary Alice Theiler to answer questions about his birth and to say his name for the court records.

In an interview afterwards Browne said his client is, "shy and naïve. He's never done drugs or had a sip of alcohol."  He said that Harris-Moore has been spending his time in jail reading mail and studying airplane design. 

Browne also stated that though there has been a great deal of media attention heaped on his client, Harris-Moore has no interest in profiting from his story - unless proceeds can go directly to those that he has allegedly hurt.

Brown is working on consolidating all of the federal and state charges - from as many as nine different states and Washington state jurisdictions - in "productive" efforts with the U.S. attorney's Seattle office.

Spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney, Emily Langlie, stated that the office doesn't discuss plea negotiations.

Browne said that some of the deals will allow his client to pay restitution with as little as four years prison time.  He told reporters, "If everyone doesn't agree to consolidate then it will mean quite a bit of trials."  And if they choose to prosecute, Browne said, "Then I'll bankrupt them."

In response to Browne, Island County prosecutor Greg Banks said, "What a blowhard. We haven't heard from him, maybe he doesn't think we have telephones here."

Island County, where Harris-Moore grew up, has at least a dozen charges filed against him. Banks believes that with forensic testing that there will be more

Banks said, "The justice system is more than just about counting up years. He has to be held accountable for what he did here."

If you have been arrested and are facing a trial click here to contact a criminal defense attorney in our directory to assist you with your defense today!