By Randall Gaylord, SJ County Prosecutor
Colton Harris-Moore Pleads Guilty to 7 Federal Charges, Including Bank Burglary in Eastsound
On Friday June 17, 2011 Colton Harris-Moore pled guilty to seven charges brought in Federal District Court in Seattle. One of those charges included a burglary of the Islanders Bank in Eastsound on September 5, 2009. In a plea agreement Harris-Moore admitted that during the bank burglary he used tools from a burglary at the Ace Hardware Store in Eastsound.
After finding footprints at the scene of the Ace Hardware burglary, Orcas Island, sheriff deputies began using the moniker of “barefoot bandit” or “barefoot burglar” to describe the offender they were seeking to apprehend.
As part of the federal plea agreement Harris-Moore promised to forfeit all rights he may have to any movie, book or payment of any kind that is associated with his crimes.
“Mr. Harris-Moore will not profit from his crimes,” explained San Juan County Prosecutor Randall K. Gaylord. “At the same time, victims of his crimes will have a fund from which to seek reimbursed and restitution paid. I fully support and approve of the action taken by the United States Attorney.”
Gaylord added that he was grateful for the work done by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring Mr. Harris-Moore back to the Western District of Washington to answer to charges here.
Harris-Moore also faces 16 charges in San Juan County involving theft and burglary. Colton Harris-Moore must also answer about 20 charges that arose from incidents in Island, Skagit and Snohomish counties, added Gaylord.
The next step in the state prosecutions is to bring Harris-Moore before an Island County Superior Court Judge in Coupeville, Washington. Gaylord estimated that it will take “about a month” to arrange schedules and prepare the paperwork to bring Harris-Moore to Coupeville.
Gaylord said that he expects that the Island County judge in Coupeville will conduct a hearing on the San Juan County case too. “The Island County judge has full authority to sit as a San Juan County judge, and it would be efficient to have a consolidated hearing,” said Gaylord.
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