The man cops called the “Blue Shoe Bandit” for the distinctive sneakers he wore while robbing stores up and down the Route 8 corridor will serve at least eight years in prison, according to a plea deal.
Michael Harris, 30, was accused of a dozen stick-ups in the region during a robbery spree between December 2016 and February 2017.
The robberies were happening so often authorities formed a task force of area detectives to stop them.
Police eventually used a GPS device to build a case against Harris, who was accused of four Valley stick-ups.
Click here for more information on the investigation from a previous story.
Plea Deal
On Sept. 12 Harris pleaded guilty to two of the local cases at Superior Court in Milford, according to court records:
- A Dec. 9, 2016 robbery at the Krauszer’s on Route 34 in Derby for which he pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery;
- A Dec. 22, 2016 robbery at the Mill Variety store on Howe Avenue in Shelton for which he pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery.
Harris also pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery in connection with the robbery of the Quick Stop Convenience store in Milford Jan. 25, 2017.
According to court records, a plea deal in the case calls for Harris to be sentenced to 15 years in prison, to be suspended after he serves eight years.
The deal also calls for Harris to serve five years of probation after he gets out of prison.
Harris has been locked up since Feb. 2. He is scheduled to return to Milford court for sentencing Dec. 12.
In addition to the cases in Milford court, Harris also faces felony robbery cases in Litchfield, Waterbury, and New Britain.
Court records list prior addresses for Harris in Naugatuck, Ansonia, and Torrington.
