To Catch a Thief

According to our SEC Enforcement-Defendant search, there have only been three enforcement actions related to Seattle in the last three months.  That’s because we breed a different kind of criminal in the Pacific Northwest.

After stealing a plane in Indiana and crashing it in the Bahamas, Washington’s favorite criminal son,  the Barefoot Bandit, has hit the national news scene.  The Seattle Times today reports US Attorney Jenny Durkan as claiming that there’s “nothing entertaining” about the more than 80 crimes in which he is implicated; the record begs to differ.  The Bandit, 19-year-old Colton Harris-Moore, is said to have stolen things like beer and frozen pizza, cars and boats.   He allegedly learned to fly planes from library books, then practiced on private aircraft that he never quite managed to land safely.  He took mugshots of himself on people’s webcams after breaking into their homes.  And, as his moniker implies, he went a long, long time without wearing shoes.

The consequences for his actions may be serious.  But, for all Durkan protests, the Barefoot Bandit’s rap sheet sure beats securities theft for entertainment value.