Man Accused of Kidnapping, Stealing Yacht Pleads No Contest

Christopher Maffei, the man accused of kidnapping his children and taking them on a multi-day excursion on a yacht stolen from Alameda's Ballena Isle Marina in September of 2012, has pleaded no contest one count of child abduction and one count of possession of a stolen boat, according to an Associated Press article on Huffington Post.

Maffei entered the plea in San Mateo County Superior Court on Friday, April 18, the AP reported. He is scheduled to return to court for sentencing on June 7. The counts carry a sentence of up to four years and four months of imprisonment, the article said.

Maffei, 43 at the time he was taken ito custody, was arrested Sept. 7 after a four-day pursuit by authorities, when the stolen yacht ran out of gas off of the Monterey Peninsula, according to the district attorney's office. His children, a boy and girl ages 2 and 3, were found on board and recovered safely.

Maffei allegedly abducted the children at about 3 p.m. on Sept. 4 from the home of their grandmother, who lives in the 100 block of James Court in South San Francisco. He then drove in a rental car to Alameda where he sailed away with them, police said.

Authorities at the time speculated he might be trying to reach Mexico. The yacht, "Unleashed," was spotted about 50 miles off the San Mateo County coast by the operator of a commercial fishing ship who notified the U.S. Coast Guard. Coast Guard officials sent crews by air and by sea to find the yacht and eventually found Maffei and the two children on board the vessel.

Court records show that Maffei's wife had obtained a temporary restraining order against him shortly before the alleged kidnapping.

You may read the complete Huffington Post article here.