Hacker Gary Bowser released from prison early, still owes Nintendo $14.5 million

[midian182]

In context: Gary Bowser, the unfortunate-named former member of Nintendo hacking group Team Xecuter who received a 40-month prison sentence last year, has been released from his incarceration early, partly due to his good behavior while behind bars. He's returning to his home in Canada, but with a $14.5 million debt owed to Nintendo, he'll likely be handing over part of his income for the rest of his life.

In April 2020, Bowser, who shares the same name as Nintendo of America's president (and a certain Nintendo character), was arrested along with fellow Team Xecuter member Max Louarn on 11 felony counts of piracy. The group created tools like modchips and jailbreaks that allowed buyers to circumvent Nintendo's security measures, enabling them to play illegal ROMs on consoles/handhelds such as the Switch, 3DS, and Nintendo Wii. Bowser initially denied the charges but changed his plea to guilty a few months later. He was ordered to pay Nintendo $4.5 million and received jail time.

A Team-Xecuter rCM Loader for the Nintendo Switch

Bowser also faced a civil suit from Nintendo of America, which he ended up settling for $10 million. Team Xecuter allegedly made millions of dollars, but Bowser's attorney said his client's limited role in the group earned him just $500 to $1,000 per month.

In February last year, Bowser received a 40-month prison sentence. His defense argued that as the least culpable of the three arrested Team Xecuter members, he should get 19 months, which would have seen him spend just three months in prison given his time served. Nintendo, who thanked the law enforcement for their roles in arresting Bowser, wanted him jailed for five years. It later transpired that the company intended to send a message with Bowser's sentence.

What is it with Nintendo and all the Bowsers?

In a recent video interview with Nick Moses (via TorrentFreak), Bowser revealed that he was released early, on March 28, and is currently at Northwest Detention Center preparing for his return to Canada in roughly one week.

But Bowser won't be escaping his past once he gets home – there's still the $14.5 million he owes Nintendo, which, after paying $25 per month from his prison job, has been reduced by $175.

As part of the court agreement, Bowser must pay Nintendo 25% to 30% of his gross monthly income. So, it's pretty much a certainty that this is one payment he'll never see the end of.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/98356-hacker-gary-bowser-released-prison-early-owes-nintendo.html

 

[DSirius]

"As part of the court agreement, Bowser must pay Nintendo 25% to 30% of his gross monthly income. So, it's pretty much a certainty that this is one payment he'll never see the end of."

Well, maybe it is vice-versa, Nintendo will "never see the end of" this payment.

 

[Neatfeatguy]

Now there is at least one Canadian that can feel the pinch of what many US residents feel - having to pay a crap ton of money into something (for us it's healthcare) and literally see nothing in return for all the money you pay in.

Welcome to the greatest land in the world, sucker!

 

[3volv3d]

Nintendo are the worst.
All these companies make games and consoles and bail on them, bring out the next gen, don't support older games or emulators and ***** when people do what they wanna do.
I'm pretty sure it doesn't hurt Nintendo or whomever monetarily half the time, or at least compared to the time and money wasted with lawyers and court costs.

But you gotta have an example set eh?

He won't pay it back without going back to what he was doing before, if they wanted money they should have taken it out of his business, rather than cut his throat.

 

[scavengerspc]

Give Bowser a choice. Have the financial debt forgiven, in exchange for an additional, no early parole 10-15 years in the clink. Either way, the thief should be grateful because he deserves both.

 

[DSirius]

Nintendo are the worst.
All these companies make games and consoles and bail on them, bring out the next gen, don't support older games or emulators and ***** when people do what they wanna do.
I'm pretty sure it doesn't hurt Nintendo or whomever monetarily half the time, or at least compared to the time and money wasted with lawyers and court costs.

But you gotta have an example set eh?

He won't pay it back without going back to what he was doing before, if they wanted money they should have taken it out of his business, rather than cut his throat.

Indeed, and Nintendo clearly lack the "vision" on how to make more money, stripping the golden hen instead of cutting it's head off.

 

[MaXtor]

Now there is at least one Canadian that can feel the pinch of what many US residents feel - having to pay a crap ton of money into something (for us it's healthcare) and literally see nothing in return for all the money you pay in.

Welcome to the greatest land in the world, sucker!

All Canadians are forced to pay for health care through their income tax. Many find themselves having to also pay for private health care in Canada or turning to American health services in order to receive better and faster care. For example if you need urgent care in Montreal, expect to wait 10+ hours in the waiting room. Even if you have an appointment, you can expect to wait several hours before you're seen. If you need a transplant, you might die before you receive it.