Barefoot bandit gets 6.5 years

SEATTLE (AP) - After a two-year international crime spree in which he survived a handful of crash landings, Colton Harris-Moore - the infamous "Barefoot Bandit" - says he's lucky to be alive.

Harris-Moore spoke publicly in court Friday for the first time since his 2010 arrest. A short while later, he was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in federal prison, which will be served concurrently with state prison time.

"What I did could be called daring, but it is no stretch of the imagination to say that am lucky to be alive ... absolutely lucky," he said. "I should have died years ago."

He particularly apologized for stealing planes, saying his arrogance led him to keep alive his dream of flying.

But Harris-Moore, once a gangly teenager, was more than just a self-taught pilot.

He hopscotched his way across the United States, authorities said. He flew a plane stolen in northwestern Washington to the San Juan Islands, stole a pistol in British Columbia and took a plane from Idaho to Washington state, stole a boat in southwestern Washington to go to Oregon, and took a plane in Indiana and flew to the Bahamas, where was arrested.

The 20-year-old earned his nickname because he committed several of the crimes without wearing shoes, and he attracted fans across the nation for his ability to evade police.

Friday's sentencing all but ends his exploits, providing the final details for a movie that an entertainment lawyer and federal prosecutors said 20th Century Fox has in the works.

But far from a gloating star, Harris-Moore apologized Friday to his victims.