Man Arrested for Allegedly Stealing $1.2 Million Yacht, Taking It for Joyride

A Vermont man is in hot water after he allegedly pulled a very GTA stunt by stealing a $1.2 million yacht from a New York Marina and taking it for a joyride.

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A man tried to live out his GTA fantasy by hijacking a million-dollar yacht and taking it for a joyride, ultimately getting arrested for the crime.

NBC 5 reports that 56-year-old Robert Morris of Vermont stole a 48-foot Jeanneau Prestige 500, named “Volans,” in Rouses Point Marina in New York and took it for a spin before Border Patrol was able to find it with him inside. The seafaring vessel is priced at $1.2 million, and Morris reportedly had it for two days. 

The yacht owner is Montreal resident Ron McCarth, who keeps the boat in the New York marina. So what was Morris’ reasoning for allegedly stealing the yacht? According to him, he had permission from the owner and was driving the boat to Montreal to return it to him, though McCarthy denies both of these claims. Rouses Point residents also told WCAX 3 how surprised they were to hear about the video game-like robbery. 

“We have no burglaries, we have no armed robbery, we have none of that stuff,” said one resident. “That is surprising, yes it is.”

The St. Albans Police Department on Burton Island who arrested Morris says he is facing charges of possession of stolen property and operating without owner’s consent. But Morris isn’t just in deep water with the St. Albans Police Department either. The alleged theft is also being investigated by the New York State Police, U.S. Customs, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

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