The 20-year-old man known as the "Barefoot Bandit" has been sentenced to more than six years in a federal prison, which will be served concurrently with the seven-year sentence he received from a state court judge last month.

According to court documents, the Barefoot Bandit recently pleaded guilty to committing multiple theft crimes in the Pacific Northwest and throughout much of the country over a span of about two years. During that time, he allegedly stole a variety of items such as guns, boats and airplanes. His ultimate goal, he told court officers, was to fulfill his lifelong dream of flying a plane.

Along the way, however, the Barefoot Bandit reportedly became confident. He earned his nickname after he committed several thefts while not wearing shoes, and he gained thousands of fans on the Internet as his notoriety grew.

During his sentencing hearing, the judge presiding over the case recognized that the Barefoot Bandit came from a difficult past with a "complete lack of parental guidance" from an alcoholic mother. In fact, the judge acknowledged, the young man began committing crimes as a means of survival after running away from an abusive home at the age of 15.

It was perhaps that understanding that led to the Barefoot Bandit's receipt of a sentence of 6 1/2 years, which is at the lower end of the sentencing scale. It is likely that the man will only serve about four years, after he is given credit for the 18 months he has already served.

During the sentencing, the judge urged the Barefoot Bandit to seek psychological treatment in prison. "The most important day in your life is what you do when you are released," he said. "It will be up to you to create a new flight plan." In response, the man's criminal defense attorneys told him that he was already undergoing treatment.

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "'Barefoot Bandit' sentenced to 6 1/2 years," Jan. 27, 2012