Harris-Moore indicted by grand jury; One charge related to the San Juan Islands

Camano Island teen Colton Harris-Moore was indicted by a federal grand jury in Seattle on Wednesday, Nov. 10 on five criminal counts. Only one of the charges relates to crimes committed in San Juan County. Harris-Moore is scheduled to face the charges before the U.S. District Court on Nov. 18.

By Meredith Griffith • November 11, 2010 5:53 pm

Assistant United States Attorney Darwin Roberts is prosecuting the case and the FBI is leading the investigation, according to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office. According to the release, charges announced against Harris-Moore include:

• Theft and interstate transportation of a Cessna from Bonners Ferry, Idaho to near Granite Falls, Washington on Sept. 29, 2009.

• Interstate and foreign transportation of a .32 caliber pistol Harris-Moore stole in Canada, carried into Idaho and then flew to the Granite Falls area.

• Possession of a firearm (Jennings .22 caliber pistol) while Harris-Moore was a fugitive between October 1, 2009, and May 6, 2010.

• Piloting an aircraft without an airman’s certificate for a flight he made in a stolen plane from Anacortes to Eastsound, Washington, on February 10, 2010.

• Interstate transportation of a 34-foot boat he stole from Ilwaco, Washington, and sailed to Oregon on May 31, 2010.

“Four of the counts are punishable by nearly 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Piloting an aircraft without an airman’s certificate is punishable by up to three years in prison,” reads the release.

Arrested in the Bahamas in July after two years spent on the lam, Harris-Moore is currently in custody at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, Washington.

According to the Seattle Times, the federal charges are only a fraction of the criminal penalties Harris-Moore could potentially face. A recent Seattle Times article said court documents show that Harris-Moore has become the focus of 80 separate investigations; in Island County, where the teen grew up, the county prosecutor is pursuing 10 criminal charges on a local level.

San Juan County prosecutor Randy Gaylord could not be reached Thursday for comment on whether he would also pursue separate charges against Harris-Moore.

Harris-Moore’s lawyer John Henry Browne also could not be reached Thursday for comment.

48 Hours to profile Harris-Moore

CBS’s News 48 Hours will air “Chasing the Barefoot Bandit” on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. It features Sounder editor Colleen Smith Armstrong and Orcas freelance journalist Bob Friel. To see a sneak preview, go here.