Barefoot Bandit Could Return To South Dakota

SPEARFISH, SD - He's accused of stealing airplanes and breaking into airports among dozens of other crimes.

Officials say Colton Harris-Moore's crime spree took him across the country and then crash landed in the Bahamas. But the Barefoot Bandit could come back to face charges in South Dakota.

Harris-Moore might have made some quick tracks through South Dakota, but now that he's learning prison rules instead of making flight plans, his footprints might once again bring him back to South Dakota.

It's already been a month since officials believe Harris-Moore made a stop in Spearfish and broke into the airport two nights in a row.

"Some moneys were stolen and then it was discovered that a 2008 Ford F-150, worth about $25,000 was also stolen," Lawrence County State’s Attorney John Fitzgerald said.

The so-called "Barefoot Bandit's" cross-country crime spree has since ended in the Bahamas. And now, Fitzgerald plans to move forward with charges against him.

"They'll need to be some more forensic test results, fine, and if that evidence would show probable cause to believe that he committed the crime, then the matter would be submitted to the grand jury for their determination," Fitzgerald said.

If the grand jury issues an indictment, Fitzgerald says it’s unclear when those bare feet could return again.

"There also might be a determination to which jurisdiction has the most serious crimes, has the most amount of criminal charges, all of those things would go into the mix as to determining who would prosecute him first," Fitzgerald said.

Since a person can be held accountable for their crimes in every jurisdiction where they happened, if convicted, Harris-Moore's next tour of the country could include jail and prison cells.

"Conceivably, you can get consecutive sentences. You could serve time in one state, and then when that time was done being served, you can be transported to another state to commence service of an additional sentence in the penitentiary," Fitzgerald said. 

Harris-Moore is also suspected of breaking into the airport and a house in Yankton.