With authorities closing in on teen burglary suspect Colton Harris-Moore, local prosecutors have begun considering what penalties they will pursue should he be brought to trial and convicted.

The Prosecuting Attorney’s office would not comment on the considerations. The Gerbil studied sentences for similar crimes to determine the likely outcome.

A San Juan Island couple committed 17 burglaries — 10 homes and seven storage buildings — over a six-month period. They used some of the stolen items to pay for drugs and to furnish their home. They were each sentenced to a year in prison — below the state standard — and ordered to pay $1,300 in fines and fees. They received credit for time served in jail since their arrest.

Harris-Moore is suspected of about 17 burglaries and thefts in the San Juan Islands, conducted between August 2008 and February 2010. He is believed to have used some of the stolen items to pay for food, survival gear and to furnish his tent.

Based on The Gerbil’s study, Harris-Moore is expected to get a year in prison and about $2,000 in fines, with credit served for time spent living in the forest.