Serial mass transit thief Darius McCollum ostensibly never met a train or bus he didn't want to steal, a, uh, quirk that's earned him infamy, jail time, and most recently, a deal with Hollywood. Indeed, McCollum's life story might soon take the form of a movie starring Julia Roberts, but the MTA says they may deserve a cut of the deal, thanks to a law that prevents felons from making money off their criminal activity.

Last week Variety reported that McCollum, who has been arrested over 25 times for impersonating transit employees and stealing subway trains and Greyhound buses, sold the rights to his life story. The ensuing film, called Train Man, was written by British screenwriter Simon Stephenson and is expected to star Julia Roberts as McCollum's attorney. But the Post reports that this week the MTA board will discuss whether or not they'll be able to take legal action against McCollum.

In 1977, New York State passed the first so-called "Son of Sam" law , which allowed the state to take proceeds a criminal earned from profiting off his crimes through a book, movie, television show, or other depiction. The MTA, which says its lost a lot of money thanks to McCollum's predilection for transit thievery, claims the agency should be able "to receive compensation" from McCollum, thanks to those laws.

McCollum, whose attorneys say has Asperger's syndrome, was most recently arrested in November, after he stole a Greyhound Bus from Port Authority Bus Terminal. McCollum pleaded guilty to the charge and is currently serving time in Rikers Island. Attorney Sally Butler, who is expected to be portrayed by Roberts in the future film in question, argued at the time that McCollum was unable to find a job and had no money when he stole the bus: "That's where he really has difficulties, when he gets scared, and any person facing homelessness without a dime in their pocket is going to be scared," she said at his arraignment in November.

Butler also argued that McCollum could potentially help law enforcement officials pinpoint weaknesses in the transit system, but instead, he was being targeted. "What if they acknowledge what skill he has and utilize it?" she said at the time. "Here&'s a guy that obviously they need some help from, and instead, he's going to be sitting in Rikers Island for a couple years wasting everyone's money."