According to VCG, Nintendo announced that Gary Bowser, the hacker who allegedly created and sold infringing devices that allowed users to play ROMs illegally on consoles, including the Switch and 3DS roms, has been convicted 40 months in prison.

Bowser is a member of a hacking group called Team-Xecuter. In 2013, the group started creating and selling mining devices that allowed users to play illegal ROMs on consoles like the Switch and 3DS.

According to the US government, this group's criminal organization has collected tens of millions of dollars and caused victims up to 150 million dollars in damages.

In a statement released on February 10, Nintendo said it appreciates the hard work and tireless efforts of federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies to limit the operate illegally on a global scale, causing 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) under the Department of Homeland Security, the US attorney's office, the Department of Computer Crime Intellectual Property of the Department of Justice. justice and the Department of Justice's international affairs office for their contribution and support.

Bowser was arrested in September 2020 and appeared in court last October on 11 counts. Instead of facing trial, he pleaded guilty to two counts and offered to pay Nintendo $4.5 million.

Nintendo originally wanted a 5-year prison sentence for the hacker, but Bowser's legal team asked the court to impose a 19-month prison sentence, which would set him free in 3 months from the time he was released. served the sentence. In a separate civil case ruling, Bowser was ordered to pay Nintendo an additional $10 million fine for selling console mods.