Gary Bowser, a leader of a group that sold mod chips for video game consoles, has been sentenced to 40 months in prison over his involvement with the organization, the Department of Justice said in a release Thursday.
Bowser was a part of Team Xecuter, which made hacks for the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, NES Classic Edition, Sony’s PlayStation Classic, and Microsoft’s Xbox, the DOJ said. Bowser’s role was to “administer the websites that communicated with customers offering devices for sale.” He pleaded guilty to two felony charges in October 2021, and the DOJ’s release noted that as part of his plea agreement, Bowser has agreed to pay $4.5 million in restitution to Nintendo of America.
The sentencing is the latest update in what’s been an ongoing saga. Bowser was arrested in the Dominican Republic in September 2020 and was deported to the US; he has been in federal custody since he was arrested. Bowser agreed in December to pay $10 million to settle a lawsuit brought against him by Nintendo.
