Nothing like glorifying a common criminal!!! He's lucky his looks fit the American mold. Another (so called good looker-Casey Anthony) will also rake in the cash. Americans are fools!!!! Oh ... by the way ... Palin is on another bus tour ... that should also feed the same idiots!!!!

Who says that crime doesn't pay?

This kid is a pathological liar and criminal. I will believe the money went to the victims when I see it. Until then I will be very skeptical.

In the US, a person gets rewarded for being a criminal, endangering lives or killing others..

That is why everyone is flocking here in an illegal way.

Oxymoron: Hollywood morals.

if he has signed a contract that stipulates that the money be paid towards restitution, and it is not then it would be the fault of 20th century fox

I can't fathom that this scumbag is so compelling that anyone would pay that kind of money for his life story. Everyone would be better off if hollywood didn't glorify the behavior of common criminals like this kid, just forget about him and let him do his time, maybe actually have to work to pay restitution.

I'll believe he had a genuine change of heart about his behavior when he gets out of jail and does the right thing. Prison is full of "rehabilitated" criminals, at least until they get out.

!

?

are you saying that he deserves this money for being a criminal?... doesn't that make crime look good?

I think you are putting words in his mouth--he said nothing of the kind and the article confirms he will keep none of the money.

even if the money goes to pay off his debts, that is profit to him... wouldn't it be nice if someone paid off all your debts?

If he didn't get the movie deal, chances are none of his victims would have gotten any restitution.

He might as well pay back the insurance companies that already paid the property losses to the victims ( most have insurance for homes,cars and planes).

He should get nothing for movie/book rights really. This will only lead to more doing things like this...BAD MISTAKE GIVING MONEY TO THESE JERKS even if they are handing it back to the victims.

I am only making a comment. And you can bet the insurnace companies didn't 100% cover all losses. Personally I think this tool got off rather light for the mayhem he did. 3 years? Seriously? I don't care how young he was, to go on a two year crime spree warranted more than that. I still hope each state adds it's own charges.

It is rather disgusting that people like him or trash like some of these reality starts are somehow celebrities in today's society.

are you saying that he deserves this money for being a criminal?... doesn't that make crime look good?

Are you saying that the people wronged in this situation should never get paid back what's owed them? You have to keep this in perspective. When I first read the headline, I was angry...however after reading the article, I like that he's using the money to pay back all of the victims in his crime spree. Remember, there was going to be absolutely NO WAY that these people would have been repaid...so he figured out a way to do it. So now these people will be paid like they should. Don't be angry that he's signed a movie deal, because if you read the article carefully...he won't see a dime of it since it's going immediately back to the victims. Be happy that these victims will be reimbursed.

even if the money goes to pay off his debts, that is profit to him... wouldn't it be nice if someone paid off all your debts?

Again, he's not making a profit. If he was making a profit, then he would end up pocketing the money for himself and would come out ahead. And someone is not paying off his debt for him...he's paying off this debt himself by figuring out a way to pay it off...selling rights to a story.

Reading comprehension...it goes a long way. Perhaps you should practice up on that some.

I can comprehend what I read. thank you for the insult though.

The insurance companies paid the victims, you think people don't insure airplanes?

The fact is, this guy is getting his debts paid for being a criminal.

Insurance only pays off so much, it doesn't pay off 100% of what they should get. It will only pay what they think the airplane, boat, or car is worth at the time of the crash, not what you ended up paying for it when you bought it. So in the end, these people only got a fraction of what they paid for their vehicle. This will help them make up for any losses that each of them have.

are you saying that if i go steal a car worth lets say 5k, and I am fined 5k for the crime.

the people who owned the car had a 1k deductible, and onlt get 4k for the car.

I sign a movie deal giving me 5k so I don't have to spend any money on paying these people back.

that seems fair to you?.... Crime should not pay. and in this case it clearly does.

It's in his movie contract that he can't profit from it.

It also wasn't just one car. It was "five planes, more than a dozen cars, several boats, and broke into a number of homes and businesses"

I highly doubt that doesn't equate to 1.3 million. I also highly doubt that the people he stole from would rather him work his whole life and never pay them than for him to find a way for them to get 100% of their money back.

are you saying that if i go steal a car worth lets say 5k, and I am fined 5k for the crime.

the people who owned the car had a 1k deductible, and onlt get 4k for the car.

No...re-read what I wrote (again...comprehension). If, at the time of the accident, your blue book value of the vehicle was only $2000, then you will only get $2000. When it comes to deductibles, that means if you wish to repair the vehicle...you will pay your $1000 and insurance will cover the rest, however your monthly rates will then go up on a monthly basis because you have made a claim against your policy (more money out of your pocket). However if the vehicle is damaged beyond repair, you will only get what they think the vehicle was worth...usually using the blue book value. So out of your $5000 vehicle, you get that $2000 back, you just lost $3000.

that is not relevant here. the point is, I would not have to pay the fine.. these nice movie people are paying my fine for me. I make out like..excuse the pun.. a bandit.

Again, if you were stolen from, would you care if the money you were getting back was from a movie deal or the kid after 30 or so years? He's a felon, what are the odds of him getting 1.3 million by himself?

again,

THEY ARE PAYING HIS FINES FOR HIM. THAT IS MONEY THAT HE DOES NOT HAVE TO PAY BACK.

How on earth can that not be making a profit for being a criminal?

forget the people that were stolen from for a minute, and look at this guys situation. he is making out like a king.

Well, it is relevant here. These people are out a lot of money because of his crime spree. Because of how insurance works (which is what I described above), they only got a fraction of what they had already paid for their vehicles. This guy knew that he wasn't going to be able to pay back what he owed to all of these people on any normal basis. So he figured out a way to do it. Whether it took him a few years or all of his life...what does it matter? Now, I get that you are angry that it seems like he's getting off easy, but like Sally said...if you were the victim, wouldn't you think to yourself "Wow, never thought I'd see the rest of that money in my lifetime...and now he's just paid me back what I need." In the end, the victims are the ones that are getting paid back their money...just a LOT sooner than anyone ever thought.

Besides, he still faces other charges, probably will face some jail time after those charges have been dealt out. So he's really not getting off as easy as you think. He's just paying off his victims what they deserve.

Forget about the people who were stolen from? They were the victims. This has everything to do with them. They were stolen from. They were getting the bad end of the deal. He's now getting them 100% of their money back, something he couldn't of done by himself as a convicted felon.

He was convicted of seven felony counts and still faces state court charges. He's not profiting and he's not getting out like a king. He will repay his debt to society, better for these people that they will get 100% of their money back now, like they should. If it wasn't for this, they would simply be out of luck. That's not justice.

It is rather disgusting that people like him or trash like some of these reality starts are somehow celebrities in today's society.

There's nothing new about Americans embracing antiheroes. For example, the mobster film is one of the oldest movie genres.

John Williams, you didn't read the article did you?

He said in the article that he would not agree to the movie deal unless the money went to paying back what he owes the victims. That he did not want a dime of it.

I wonder what this misfit will do to justify a sequel?

Coffee cow, you might as well give up. It's like explaining rocket science to animals. They just won't understand your posts.

It's bull**** that this kid is going to pay nothing out of his own pocket. Crime does pay in America.

Hey loser,

Read the article. He's not getting a dime from the film. He's been caught.

Would you be saying "kudos" if he stole YOUR car?

You're a moron.

He's worth the money and should still retire to a Caribbean Island! Nis antics was worth the money alone!

Didn't he already try retiring to a Caribbean Island? He was caught in the Bahamas.

Did you even read the article? It's in his contract that he can't profit from it.

I'm not sure that would be an easy way to make a buck. I would consider seven federal felony convictions and 1.4 million in restitution not worth whatever "bucks" you can make in the end.

but he is getting those debts paid off from the deal here.

True, but he is still 100K, seven federal felony convictions and any possible state charges in the negative. Still too high if you ask me.

Oh please Coffee Cow - I doubt you have the guts or ability to steal a pack of gum. A talented kid stole from a bunch of rich A-holes. Who cares?

he broke the law... you should care, and please don't attack people like that. it makes you look like an ass.

You don't care that he is paying them back so really neither of us care about the "victims". Also, I didn't really attack you- I just think you are a little too vindictive (no- he can't make money this way he has to flip burgers or something....) over a non-violent and somewhat impressive crime (he taught himself how to fly and didn't get caught for a very long time)- sorry if I'm not crying over lost personal planes, I just can't seem to find my tiny violin.

your glorifying crime here dude...

I never said that I didn't care about the victims, but this guy (no matter how "snazzy" you think he was) is a CRIMINAL, and deserves no assistance for doing a crime.

I was a bad kid, did some things I am not proud of, but I paid my dues, I paid my fines, and everyone I hurt. why should this guy get a damn movie for stealing stuff?

Look- I'm not saying the guy is great or that it's going to make a good movie- I honestly don't care that much. I just thought you came on a bit strong.

He's going to spend three years in juvenile detention and come out without marketable skills and a record for stealing a bunch of rich people's toys. I want him and all criminals to be able to re-build their lives after they serve their sentence so I guess I'm just glad that a non-violent kid has a way to pay off some of his debt so he might have a chance of being a productive member of society someday. Is the movie glorifying crime? Probably but that's a separate issue- I have no problem with him using this to go toward restitution so he can eventually move on.

I thought the same thing about the movie Catch Me If You Can but eventually I did see it. That guy left a lot of victims in his wake and it cost a lot to catch him, and he then used his considerable skills to help the FBI and banks prevent others from copying him. It is possible to turn your life around, unfortunately the vast majority never do. Time will tell with this guy.

One would assume that the restitution in those cases would go to the insurance company in order to recover what they paid out to the property owners.

Well even if you received insurance money, you still have to pay deductibles... I bet the deductible on a $1million plane isn't cheap. And then there are the dozens and dozens of homes he broke into. Many of those probably weren't big enough thefts to warrant filing claims because of the deductibles. With so many victims, $1.3million isn't as much as it sounds.

Not a psychopath but sure sounds like a sociopath to me. And anyone who steals planes with no real piloting skills sure puts a lot of people at risk. He was lucky.

An "a$$hole" means he has SOME use, which I don't see, at all.

Whew! I am so glad it matters what idiots think! I was getting scared there for a minute. I was about to think that an attempt at restitution was going to actually be though of as a positive step.

My faith in the dregs of humanity restored, I can go on to a much better, happier life of contentment and rest.

TaoMokoda, it seems you're a little cornfused about what constitutes an idiot. Personally I'd lable the deviant who committed dozens of crimes as one of the "dregs of humanity" as opposed to a person who simply voices his opinion about what a criminal did and is doing.

way to show the world what a moron you are, Dave. and yes...i WILL have fries with that.

You are just jealous that you have your own dummy (that probably playing video games) all day long. My husband is a pilot and I know how much you have to work and study to be able to fly, but this kid taught himself how to do that, this is something that brings nothing but admiration from me.This kid is smart, America doesn't have many talents like this one. His problem is that he used those talents to the wrong purpose.

I wish him good luck.

Maybe he'll come visit your house when he gets out of prison since you're such an adoring fan of criminals.

diddo, would you feel the same way if this mutt crashed one of the planes he was stealing into your husband's, or caused your husband to crash? Piloting a plane isn't just about getting it airborn then landing, its also knowing proper procedures in case of an emergency to keep others safe. Bet your husband goes through a pre-flight safety check before he takes off...

Listen, the story is such that Hollywood was going to make the movie, no matter who they had to pay. He could have taken the money himself and thumbed his nose at people like you who wouldn't have liked it. What could you have done other than gripe about it? Nothing.

Instead, he chose to have the money to back to his victims. Passing on $1.3 million might not seem like an "inconvenience" to you, but I wager you'd be in the minority on that, unless you're already a multi-millionaire.

Since this article didn't go into the specifics as to who the court actually awarded the restitution to then we don't know if court could have wanted him to pay part of the Washington manhunt costs. As it is the amount still comes up short.

Hmmmm. I think you have a point!

Hmmmm. I think you have a point!

I sharpen it regularly

Keep in mind that your opinion reflects only your life experiences, and I'm sorry that yours has destroyed your ability to hope in people. I happen to work with incarcerated young people and adults, and I can tell you that the majority of them are genuinely sorry for what they did, and they want to change and they can change and they will change if given the right opportunity and guidance.

Unfortunately, you have been blinded by the fact that those who don't change usually get the spotlight.

Maybe he has, tough times will set you priorities back in line.

Perhaps you might consider doing your "U S Army Soldier" son proud by actually reading the article and understanding it before belching out half-baked rants!

The money is going to restitution for his victims; he made sure the contract he signed guarantees this. He's not making a dime. As for fame? Well he was already famous (or infamous) for committing the crime in the first place.

That's bullsh1t. Paying restitution doesn't mean jack when the money is just handed to you for agreeing to let some studio make a movie about you. $1.4 million for his signature? That's hardly my idea of paying for his crimes. That's more like debt cancellation. I hope that money is on a 1099C and I hope like hell the IRS goes after him for taxes on the income, no matter who he gives it to as restitution.

You seem to be forgetting the victims there socrates. Would you rather him pay the victims $100 a week and them never be able to buy back their lost property or have him orchestrate a deal to where he can pay back all he took from them in one nice lump sum. The problem in America is people focus so much on punishing the criminal and not rehabilitating and making the situation right.

I can't believe what idiots some people are (donna and Taomoloda)!

Entertainment lives to tell stories such as these. And we as viewers enjoy them and have every right to. So the next time a movie based on real events that you don't condone comes out, please avoid. You are clearly against the creative spirit and want to control media and art. It's time for you to move to Moscow.

And what he is doing with the money is a fine way to pay restitution because it will actually be paid to his victims. How often do the victims ever get the restitution owed to them? Practically never.

Stupid ignorant people speaking up for everyone to see. So sad.