Colton Harris-Moore, 28, was denied by a federal judge when he sought an early end to his probation. He is seen in an undated file photo
The man who became infamously known worldwide as the ‘Barefoot Bandit’ for a massive two-year crime spree won’t be able to end his probation early so that he can earn money abroad as a motivational speaker.
Colton Harris-Moore, 28, is currently on supervised release after serving a prison sentence for 67 state and federal crimes, including theft of cars, speedboats, and airplanes.
A federal judge in Seattle on Friday denied Harris-Moore’s request to be let out of supervised release so that he could earn at least $10,000 per speech in countries like France, China, and South Korea.
Harris-Moore claimed in his court filing last month that he was a changed man and that the supervised release has prevented him from pursuing lucrative opportunities, according to The Seattle Times.
He is due to complete his sentence this coming September.
His lawyer, Colleen Hartl, argued in court that continuing probation would be a waste of the court’s resources.
She also claimed that Harris-Moore was told by his probation officer that he was being treated differently than others because of his fame.
Harris-Moore (seen far right with his lawyer, John Henry Browne, in December 2011) is due to end his three-year federal probation in September
Harris-Moore gained notoriety as the 'Barefoot Bandit' for committing a series of burglaries and thefts and then leaving chalk drawings of his bare feet (like those shown above in a market in Orcas Island, Washington after it was broken into in February 2010)
Hartl told the court that Harris-Moore is trying to move beyond the ‘barefoot bandit’ persona.
‘The “Barefoot Bandit” has not been his identity or reality for over 10 years.
‘The “Barefoot Bandit” is gone,’ Hartl wrote.
‘If the purpose of probation is to reintegrate the offender back into society as a productive, law-abiding citizen, that’s been done.
‘Probation has nothing left to offer him.’
Hartl complained in her court filing last month that it took months for the probation officer to process and eventually deny a request by Harris-Moore to be relocated to Arizona last year.
But federal prosecutors refuted claims made by Harris-Moore’s attorney.
Harris-Moore (seen in this undated file photo) says his probation is limiting his opportunities to earn money as a motivational speaker
They said that Harris-Moore was denied a chance to move to Arizona because he has no ties to the state and had never visited.
Michael Dion, the assistant U.S. attorney, said that Harris-Moore has been the beneficiary of his notoriety.
He noted that Harris-Moore received more than $1million for the rights to his life story - most of which was used to pay the roughly $1.3million he was ordered to give his victims as restitution.
In 2011, the film studio 20th Century Fox acquired the rights to Harris-Moore’s life story.
According to Dion, most convicted felons would need to spend their whole lives working to pay off that debt.
Harris-Moore claims he could earn at least $10,000 per speaking engagement in countries like China, France, and South Korea
‘Assuming that people really would pay Mr. Harris-Moore a $20,000 speaking fee, that is because
