LOS ANGELES (AFP) – A teenager dubbed the "Barefoot Bandit" pleaded guilty Friday to a string of audacious crimes across the United States, which ended with his arrest in the Bahamas.
Colton Harris-Moore, 20, confessed to his crimes in the northwestern US state of Washington, where he was flown last year following his arrest after a high-speed boat chase.
Harris-Moore -- whose nickname stems from the discovery of bare footprints at his crime scenes -- admitted seven charges including bank robbery, stealing an aircraft, flying a plane without a license and stealing a boat.
Under a plea deal he is expected to be jailed for up to six and a half years in jail, although a judge could impose more, according to the US attorney's office in Washington state.
"The many years of Mr. Harris-Moore avoiding responsibility for his criminal conduct have come to an end," said US Attorney Jenny Durkan in a statement.
"We have ensured he will not profit from his crimes, and that his victims will be compensated to the greatest extent possible. While we cannot stop him from telling his story, we can make sure he never sees a dime for his crimes."
A 2009 criminal complaint alleges Harris-Moore stole the 340,000-dollar Cessna plane from Idaho and flew it to Washington after committing a string of burglaries and vehicle thefts in the United States and Canada.
Since Harris-Moore's escape from a group home in 2008, "approximately 65 investigations have been initiated into crimes which have him listed as the primary suspect," the complaint said.
He is accused of residential and commercial burglaries, vehicle theft and assaults on law enforcement officers, the complaint added.
Harris-Moore was arrested July 11 in the Bahamas, after a dramatic high-speed boat chase on Bahamas Harbour Island, one week after police found the wreckage of a stolen plane they believe he flew to the archipelago.
His youth and the bold nature of his crimes have turned him into a folk hero for some, who have romanticized him as a latter-day Billy the Kid.
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