Nintendo has publicly thanked authorities following the news that Gary Bowser (not pictured) has been sentenced to 40 months in prison for selling hacking tools for the Nintendo Switch hardware.
Bowser, no relation to Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser, was reportedly a member of a hacking group called Team-Xecuter. In 2013 they reportedly began creating and selling circumvention devices enabling users to play illegal ROMs on consoles, including Switch and 3DS.
In a statement, Nintendo says it “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.”
They subsequently go on to thank the FBI, DOJ, Homeland Security and U.S. Attorney’s Office for their “significant contribution and assistance”. The group’s criminal enterprise reportedly generated tens of millions of dollars in sales and resulted in up to $150 million in losses to victims.
In a separate civil case ruling, Bowser was ordered to pay Nintendo an additional $10 million fine for his part in selling console mods.
Source: VGC and ComicBook.com
