A GoFundMe page raising money to help the "Barefoot Bandit" take flying lessons was shut down Tuesday.
Colton Harris-Moore, 25, served four years in prison for dozens of crimes committed during a two-year crime spree. He set up a fundraising page to learn to fly, but federal officials asked him to take it down until he has paid restitution to the victims.
Right now Harris-Moore still owes $129,000. Sony is paying the restitution in exchange for his movie rights, but the installments haven't finished yet.
"Victims come first, and he still has a court order," said Connie Smith, chief of U.S Probation and Pre-Trial Services "He may be well-intentioned, but they need to be made whole."
Harris-Moore's initial email and phone call for flying lessons seemed as normal as any other. A potential customer contacted Luke Lysen's The Flight Academy, looking for details on how to fly.
"About 20 minutes later, the phone rang and said it was Colton Harris-Moore," recalled Lysen, "He seems interested in learning to fly. He's asking all the right questions."
Harris-Moore now works in Seattle.
"He asked me if I knew who he was," said Lysen, "I let him know that I did know. He had some questions about someone with his background, whether there's any hindrance to him getting a license.
"That shouldn't pose a problem," he continued.
One day later, Harris-Moore started a GoFundMe page to raise $125,000 for flight instruction. Specifically, he wants to learn to fly a Cirrus aircraft, notable because it has a parachute for use in case of emergency.
"I took it as someone who's been through a lot and still after all this, still has a passion about flying," said Lysen.
Attempts to reach Harris-Moore Monday were unsuccessful. His attorney John Henry Browne acknowledged his client had started the page, but indicated he was doing it on his own.
Lysen said there is plenty Harris-Moore can learn, even though he has flown thousands of miles alone. Specifically, landing.
"Might be interesting," he suggested, "Come back and interview me after."
Harris-Moore said any money raised would go to flight instruction and not to himself. Restitution to his victims comes from money of the sale of his movie rights to 20th Century Fox.
