Man Who Crashed Stolen Yacht to Pay $1.3M

A Wyoming man who stole a luxury yacht and ran it aground in Northern California has been sentenced to time served and ordered to pay $1.38 million in restitution.

The San Mateo County Times reports 62-year-old Leslie Alan Gardner must also complete five years of probation.

Gardner initially claimed the boat was his. Gardner’s attorney previously said his client was delusional and believed he’d been left the boat by a relative.

The 82-foot vessel “Darling” was taken from Sausalito Yacht Harbor in March. It ran aground more than 20 miles south at Linda Mar Beach in Pacifica with Gardner and two others aboard.

Charges were dropped against 54-year-old Dario Mira and 56-year-old Lisa Modawell after prosecutors determined they didn’t know the $2 million sailboat was stolen.