Posted in: Games, Nintendo, Video Games | Tagged: Hacking, nintendo, nintendo switch

Nintendo Issues Statement On Switch Hacker Sentenced To 40 Months

Nintendo has issued an official statement on a Switch hacker who has been found guilty and sentenced for selling hacking tools for their console. If you're not familiar with the story, a hacker by the name of Gary W. Bowser, leader of the group Xecuter, pled guilty in October 2021 to "Conspiracy to Circumvent Technological Measures and to Traffic in Circumvention Devices, and Trafficking in Circumvention Devices" that allowed other gamers to hack their consoles to play ROMs. According to a Department of Justice statement, this harmed "video game developers and the small, creative studios whose products and hard work is essentially stolen when games are pirated."

Bowser had previously agreed to pay $4.5 million in restitution to Nintendo of America but still faced multiple years in prison for the crime. The Department of Justice announced today that Bowser had been sentenced to 40 months in prison for two federal felonies. Here's what Nintendo had to say about the sentencing:

Today, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington imposed a 40-month sentence upon Gary W. Bowser, one of the leaders of the Team Xecuter criminal enterprise, which created and sold console-hacking software and devices used to play pirated Nintendo Switch games. Nintendo appreciates the hard work and tireless efforts of federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies to curb illegal activities on a global scale that cause serious harm to Nintendo and the video game industry. In particular, Nintendo would like to thank the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) of the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington, the U.S. Department of Justice's Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section and the Justice Department's Office of International Affairs for their significant contribution and assistance.

The Department of Justice noted that:

The leaders of this multimillion-dollar scheme are responsible for diverting money from creative professionals who have worked hard to provide unique products and experiences," said Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. "HSI, along with our law enforcement and private sector partners, will continue to pursue those who prove to be enemies of innovation and global commerce."

The prosecution of the case continues against two other individuals charged in the indictment who are not in federal custody.

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