KEY POINTS

  • A Florida man was arrested Thursday three months after allegedly stealing and crashing a yacht
  • Donovan Russell Jester charged with grand theft for allegedly stealing yacht worth $899,179
  • Jester crashed yacht into four channel-marker pilings and left it to drift into nearby oyster bed

A Florida man who allegedly stole a luxurious yacht worth around $1 million in March was arrested last week, three months after running away from authorities for his nautical crime.

Donovan Russell Jester, 28, was taken into custody Thursday (June 25) and charged with grand theft of a vessel. Deputies told the Tampa Bay Times that the Largo, Florida resident allegedly stole a 46-foot 2019 Jeanneau Leader from the Thunder Marine in Bay Pines Boulevard.

The crime happened on March 20 at around 2:15 a.m. The yacht Jester stole was valued at $899, 179, added the outlet.

Some of the global elite rushed to dream homes in the countryside, their superyachts or were whisked away by private jet to seaside retreats to avoid the pandemic
Some of the global elite rushed to dream homes in the countryside, their superyachts or were whisked away by private jet to seaside retreats to avoid the pandemic AFP / VALERY HACHE

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said Jester crashed the stolen yacht into four channel-marker pilings before abandoning it and left the vessel to drift into a nearby oyster bed. It was here that local deputies found the yacht.

Investigators found a left thumbprint on the cabin door that matched Jester's, said the arrest report.

Jester first denied being on the boat, but he admitted to the crime shortly after he was arrested.

The yacht had about $60,000 in damages, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Jester was being held at the Pinellas County jail on a $50,000 bail. He could also face up to 30 years in prison, said Fox News.

In August of last year, two friends were able to capture a similar incident when thieves attempted to steal a yacht in Sea Isle Marina in Miami, Florida. In contrast to Jester's crime, the thieves were unsuccessful and only managed to crash the vessel into other boats in their effort to escape.

A man also tried to get away with “New Atlantic,” a 92-foot yacht in Seattle in August 2018. WJLA said the thief was able to start the yacht while it was docked at Chandler's Cove, but then rammed into other boats that were moored along Lake Union.

The man then jumped into the lake where he was apprehended by authorities.

Oak Bay Police also caught a “prolific offender” in April that they believed stole “Son Seeker IV,” a 2002 Sea Ray that was listed for $499,000. Victoria News reported that the 25-year-old suspect claimed to be infected with COVID-19, had a knife and was uncooperative when he was arrested.

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