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Colton Harris-Moore, the "Barefoot Bandit," pleads guilty to 7 federal charges

Xeni Jardin — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 07:28:18 +0000

Colton Harris-Moore, the 20-year-old, 6-foot-5 criminal whose hijinks in multiple countries led to internet fame and the "Barefoot Bandit" name, today pleaded guilty to seven criminal charges.

Appearing in U.S. District Court in Seattle, the lanky, 6-foot-5 Camano Island man entered guilty pleas to each of the federal charges. Under a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, Harris-Moore, 20, also agreed to forfeit any proceeds earned from the sale of his story.
The forfeiture issue had been a sticking point in plea negotiations between federal prosecutors and the defense, according to Harris-Moore's attorney, John Henry Brown. Browne has said that Harris-Moore did not want to profit from his crime spree and intends any proceeds to go toward paying restitution, which Browne said is in the range of $1.5 million.
"Whether the government wants it or not, there will be a movie. There will be more books. And there will be money from them," Browne said earlier this month.

Heh. And what poetry it would be if everyone who wanted to see the movie just stole it online!

More, including court documents, at the Seattle Times.

Mexican drug smugglers catapult weed over border fence into US

Xeni Jardin — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 11:32:42 +0000

A remote video surveillance system captured drug smugglers using a catapult to launch packages of pot over the Mexico/US border. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, US National Guard troops coordinated with Mexican authorities to halt the operation.

Video and story at local TV station KVOA, Tucson, Arizona.

Crazy Contraband: photo gallery of weird confiscated stuff, including drugs and critters

Xeni Jardin — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 06:07:40 +0000

MR. POTATOECSTASY: A Mr Potatohead toy containing 293 grams of ecstasy seized by Australian Customs at a mail center in Sydney, Australia is seen in this undated handout photograph. The parcel was posted from Ireland and sent to a residential address in Sydney's western suburbs. (Reuters/Australian Customs/Handout)

More photographs of weird things seized by customs and law enforcement officials, including drugs and living creatures, below.

LONELY LIZARD: A customs officer presents a live chameleon during a news conference by the customs duty office at the Frankfurt airport in 2007. Customs officers displayed various items and reptiles that had been confiscated while being illegally smuggled into Germany. (Reuters/Alex Grimm)

FISH SKIRT: A woman on a flight from Singapore to Melbourne shows the 51 live tropical fish hidden in a specially designed apron under her skirt in this 2005 handout photograph from the Australian Customs Service. Customs officers became suspicious after hearing "flipping" noises coming from the vicinity of her waist, and an examination revealed 15 plastic water-filled bags holding concealed fish. (Reuters)

GECKO BOOK: Australian native geckos concealed in a hollowed out book which were seized by Customs officials are seen in this 2008 photo. Australian Customs officials were alerted by Australia Post to a suspect express mail package bound for the Czech Republic. Customs investigators responded and took possession of the package. Inside they found a hollowed-out book containing two adult and two baby southern leaf tail geckos. (Reuters/Australian Customs/Handout)

NOT "GAY LUBE OIL": Some of the 150 bottles containing illegal liquid steroids hidden inside sexual lubricant packaging seized by the Australian Customs is seen in this 2008 handout. Customs said that the bottles, labeled as "gay lube oil", actually contained prohibited performance and image enhancing drugs manufactured and sent from Thailand. (Reuters/Australian Customs/Handout)

DRUG MULE: One of 200 cement yard statues shaped like a donkey is shown on display in this 2009 handout image provided by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Law enforcement agents seized 1800 pounds of marijuana valued at $1.5 million that had been hidden in the 200 statues in the cities of Fontana, California and Sun Valley, California. (Reuters/U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement/Handout)

PIGEON PANTS: Live pigeons are pictured, stuffed into the tights of a man, at Melbourne International Airport in this 2009 picture released by Australian Customs. The man, a passenger on a flight from Dubai, was discovered with a live pigeon stuffed in each leg of his tights, as well as two bird eggs, plant seeds and undeclared samples of eggplant after a search by customs and border control officers and was handed over to Australian Quarantine and Inspection Services staff, according to local media. (Reuters/Australian Customs/Handout)

COCAINE EGGS: A cache of cocaine concealed inside dozens of fake candy Easter eggs is pictured in this 2010 photograph released by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. ICE officials arrested Esteban Galtes from Miami, Florida on a drug smuggling charge after he was intercepted at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on December 23, 2010, attempting to smuggle in a cache of cocaine. Officers searched Galtes' luggage and discovered more than 14 pounds of cocaine, much of it camouflaged as pastel-colored, egg-shaped candies with the remainder of the cocaine secreted under the cardboard bottom of a paper shopping bag. The seized cocaine has an estimated street value of more than $100,000. (Reuters/ICE/Handout)

FROG FILM: This 2004 photo released by Belgian police shows exotic frogs from Panama that were discovered by customs officials in film boxes at Brussels national airport. More than 500 amphibian creatures were smuggled into the country by two Belgian citizens to sell on the black market at about 150 euros each. (Reuters/Ho/Belgian Customs Authorities)

SPEED STATUES: Two Australian Customs officers hold statues made of ephedrine, a drug used to make "speed" or methamphetamine, after they were seized in raids in Sydney in 2005. (Reuters/Australian Customs/Handout DG/PN)

COKE DOOR: A wooden door, imported from Mexico and containing about 5 kg (11 pounds) of cocaine, seized by Australian Customs officials in Sydney in 2005. The Australian police charged a 32-year-old Mexican national with attempted possession of a prohibited import. (Reuters)

Real-life "Encino Man" caught in Australia

Xeni Jardin — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 06:15:44 +0000

The strange saga of a 32-year-old barefoot and bedreadlocked gentleman named James D'Zilva appears to be at an end.

Wanted in the stabbing of a policeman, he has evaded police for a month by running barefoot through the wilderness, covering 30km (19 miles) a day, traveling with nothing but the clothes on his back. Police say he suffers from schizophrenia, and is off his medication. The constable he is believed to have stabbed survived the attack.

The Age has more here, and reports that he is "suspected of breaking into numerous homes and businesses in the Dandenongs in the past month, escaping with items including clothes, ice cream and chocolate."

We will presume that Mr. D'Zilva does not bathe with soap.

(Via Submitterator, thanks imorgan73)