[ad_1]
Ironically-named Nintendo Switch hacker Gary Bowser could be sentenced to five years in jail for his crimes against the gaming juggernaut.
The long legal journey of Nintendo Switch hacker Gary Bowser could potentially result in five years in jail. The long saga of the aptly-named hacker began back in 2020, when Nintendo began cracking down on groups illegally selling hacking kits through the internet. In April 2021 Nintendo filed a lawsuit against Bowser’s pirate ring, known as Team Xecuter, for crimes against the gaming juggernaut.
In recent years Nintendo has become increasingly aggressive in its pursuit of game pirates, with many investigations leading to lawsuits against the exploiters. In 2021 the iconic gaming company found that Gary Bowser, along with other members of Team Xecuter, had been hacking and reselling devices such as the Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch. The aptly-named Bowser, alongside fellow Team Xecuter member Max Louarn, had been arrested for fraud before his history of scamming Nintendo led to much more serious trouble. Eventually the cybercriminal was made to pay up to $4.5 million to the Super Mario creator after Nintendo Switch hacker Gary pled guilty to advertising and trafficking the hacked devices.
For creating and distributing pirated Nintendo Switch consoles, Eurogamer reports that Gary Bowser may face up to five years in jail. Despite already accepting the $4.5 million fine, government officials feel that a 60-month jail sentence for Bowser would « reflect the seriousness of the offense, » though the hacker’s legal team is pushing for a shorter sentence. Lawyers have explained that Bowser was actually the least culpable member of Team Xecuter, and he is simply taking the brunt of the blame because he is the only member to be arrested. 16 months in jail has been suggested as a much more appropriate sentence, considering the crimes.
While serving a five-year jail sentence may seem intense for simply hacking a video game console, Nintendo has a history of relentlessly pursuing hackers. Gary Bowser’s $4.5 million fine was expected to be the extent of his punishment, but in December 2020 a Nintendo Switch hacker was sentenced to three years in prison for committing multiple crimes. While this hacker’s crimes included dealing the credentials of a high-level Nintendo employee, the individual in question was also found guilty of possessing child pornography. This hacker’s mere three-year sentence, despite the severity of their crimes, makes a five-year sentence for Gary Bowser seem like overkill.
The long saga of the ironically-named Gary Bowser appeared to end with a $4.5 million fine, making the chance of extended jail time surprising. While Bowser and Team Xecuter may have stolen from Nintendo, costing the gaming juggernaut a large sum of money, five years seems like a long sentence for a non-violent crime. This outcome has not yet been decided, however, so time will tell whether Bowser’s legal team can reduce this sentence.
Source: Eurogamer
[ad_2]