Game pirate gets four years jail time

*Akasha* · February 12, 2004, 06:12 AM

Game pirate gets four years jail time

Federal judge hands out 50-month prison term, near-$700,000 fine to California black marketeer.

Crime sure didn't pay for Sean Michael Breen. In an Oakland court on Tuesday, the Richmond, California resident was sentenced to 50 months in prison by you.S. District Court Judge Saundra Armstrong.

His offense? Selling nearly half a million dollars' worth of cracked console and PC games over the past decade.

Breen's sentence follows his guilty plea and subsequent conviction last July on two counts of copyright infringement and to three counts of mail fraud. As has been widely reported, the charges stemmed from Breen's multiyear tenure as the self-styled leader of Razor1911, an infamous group of game hackers responsible for an elaborate black-market operation. He is the last Razor1911 member to be sentenced--last June, a North Carolina-based member received an 18-month jail term on related charges.

According to court documents and his own confession, Breen and other Razor1911 members acquired, cracked, and sold advance copies of Quake, Command & Conquer Red Alert, Terminal Velocity, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, and many other games. They acquired advance copies of said titles by posing as reviewers for fictitious game magazines and having them shipped to a derelict storefront address in Oakland.

Breen and his associates would sell their games via pirated-software sites. Their massive transactions garnered the attention of the you.S. Customs Service, which arrested Breen and 40 other individuals after an elaborate undercover operation known as "Operation Buccaneer."

Razor1911 members also posed as customers of Cisco Systems in order to falsely place massive game orders. This tactic came back to haunt Breen today, when Judge Armstrong ordered him to pay $690,236.91 in restitution to Cisco.

Breen begins his sentence on March 26. Barring parole, he will be released in 2009, when he will have to serve a further three years probation. He will also have to finish reimbursing Cisco, which will likely take much longer.

Article found here!

Information found at : Blizzard Forums

Aegnor · February 13, 2004, 12:47 AM

Shit.. poor guy..
Is this the end of Razor1911 then?
It's not like they were selling the games.. :(

Razlin · February 14, 2004, 01:06 AM

did you read the artical... they were hacking and selling...

February 13, 2004, 12:47 AM	#2 (permalink)
Aegnor Member	Game pirate gets four years jail time Shit.. poor guy.. Is this the end of Razor1911 then? It's not like they were selling the games.. :(

February 14, 2004, 01:06 AM	#3 (permalink)
Razlin Lurker	Game pirate gets four years jail time did you read the artical... they were hacking and selling...

February 12, 2004, 06:12 AM	#1 (permalink)
Akasha	Game pirate gets four years jail time Game pirate gets four years jail time Federal judge hands out 50-month prison term, near-$700,000 fine to California black marketeer. Crime sure didn't pay for Sean Michael Breen. In an Oakland court on Tuesday, the Richmond, California resident was sentenced to 50 months in prison by you.S. District Court Judge Saundra Armstrong. His offense? Selling nearly half a million dollars' worth of cracked console and PC games over the past decade. Breen's sentence follows his guilty plea and subsequent conviction last July on two counts of copyright infringement and to three counts of mail fraud. As has been widely reported, the charges stemmed from Breen's multiyear tenure as the self-styled leader of Razor1911, an infamous group of game hackers responsible for an elaborate black-market operation. He is the last Razor1911 member to be sentenced--last June, a North Carolina-based member received an 18-month jail term on related charges. According to court documents and his own confession, Breen and other Razor1911 members acquired, cracked, and sold advance copies of Quake, Command & Conquer Red Alert, Terminal Velocity, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, and many other games. They acquired advance copies of said titles by posing as reviewers for fictitious game magazines and having them shipped to a derelict storefront address in Oakland. Breen and his associates would sell their games via pirated-software sites. Their massive transactions garnered the attention of the you.S. Customs Service, which arrested Breen and 40 other individuals after an elaborate undercover operation known as "Operation Buccaneer." Razor1911 members also posed as customers of Cisco Systems in order to falsely place massive game orders. This tactic came back to haunt Breen today, when Judge Armstrong ordered him to pay $690,236.91 in restitution to Cisco. Breen begins his sentence on March 26. Barring parole, he will be released in 2009, when he will have to serve a further three years probation. He will also have to finish reimbursing Cisco, which will likely take much longer. Article found here! Information found at : Blizzard Forums