You may remember the name Gary Bowser – he was the primary moneyman for Team Xecutor, a notorious hacker group that sold hacked consoles, and got sentenced to over three years in prison last year for his role in the operation. While the actual boss of the operation made quips from a comfortable French residence, Bowser began his sentence and is now getting out early thanks to good behavior – but his punishment is far from over.
Bowser reportedly made about $320,000 over seven years of work (~$45,000 a year) for Team Xecutor – not a small amount, but in comparison to the alleged millions that the hacking team made, it’s a small slice of the pie (especially compared to those running the operation). As part of his sentencing, Bowser was ordered to pay $10 million – over 30 times the amount he made from the operation. Since he doesn’t have that kind of money, that means Nintendo is now able to take 25-30% of his income until the figure is paid back, which given Bowser’s health and age, is essentially the rest of his life. He made a meager income in prison (where wages are inhumanely low) where he was able to pay Nintendo $25 a month for a total of $175. Out of $10 Million.
It is worth pausing a moment to consider the particulars of the situation. Bowser did commit a crime, but he wasn’t the principal beneficiary and in fact pleaded guilty (lightening his sentence) in order to name the Team’s boss, who has still not been extradited to the US. Even so, Nintendo – a company that regularly makes billions – is able to demand an exorbitant amount from an individual due to the particulars of the US justice system. Perhaps you believe this is just desserts for a criminal who didn’t deny his involvement in these schemes, but do consider the scale of the punishment in proportion to the crime.
Bowser is currently in processing at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, awaiting his return to Toronto. We’ll report any other developments in the story as they come.
Source: Torrentfreak | Via: Kotaku
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Written by Amelia Fruzzetti
A writer and Nintendo fan based in Seattle, Washington. When not working for NinWire, she can be found eating pasta, writing stories, and wondering about when Mother 3 is finally going to get an official localization.
