In February 2022, Gary Bowser, a member of the hacking operation Team Xecuter – a longtime target of Nintendo’s lawyers –was sentenced to 40 months in prison for helping run a business that reportedly made him over $300,000.
However, thanks to a combination of time already served and good behavior in prison, Bowser is close to being released and traveling home to Canada. On the eve of his departure – awaiting transport to Toronto with a new passport – Bowser sat down for an interview with NickMoses 05 (Thanks TorrentFreak
As I said at the time of his sentencing, although Bowser has committed a crime and admitted it in court, I still think it is interesting – and important – to examine the details of his sentencing, showing the extent to which companies like Nintendo are pursuing these cases through the American legal systemand the severity of the penalties imposed.
While Bowser has been convicted, served some time in prison and is close to being released, his punishment is not over. In fact, he will pay for his crimes for the rest of his life, for the damages he was being paid to Nintendo at the time of his conviction – a total of $10 million
Bowser says Nintendo can take 25-30% of his earnings for the rest of his working life. They started the process while he was still in prison; Like many American inmates, Bowser was able to take a job (for whIt’s essentially loose change) while he was behind bars, and over the course of his time at the SeaTac Federal Detention Center in Washington, he was able to repay…$175.
Bowser was one of two men arrested in connection with Team Xecuter. Despite being commonly referred to as a “hacker” in media reports, he actually admitted to being the company’s “salesman” and reportedly made $320,000 in seven years of work. The other, French national Max Louarn, allegedly the head of the operation (a role he denies) has so far managed to avoid deportation to the USA to be charged therealthough he is believed to have helped the company millions in the course of its operation.
