Doing The Time - But For What Crime Options

[Xbox-Scene]

Doing The Time - But For What Crime Posted by Syrus | February 21 14:27 EST

An older article caught my eye from LAist. (Above: Photo of Jason's modded ankle tracker.) [QUOTE] Jason Jones used to own ACME, the super-hip video game store on Melrose and La Brea that catered to celebrity clients ranging from Snoop Dogg to David Arquette. In 2005 he was pinched by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, who raided his store wearing full body armor and brandishing shotguns because Jones was suspected of selling "modded" Microsoft Xboxes that played pirated games. Seriously. Charged with felonies under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, Jones faced up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines after pleading guilty to felony copyright crimes in May, 2006. Instead, he received six months of probation. His current home is The Vinewood, a Hollywood halfway house for federal cons about to transition back to civilian life. Jones, 35, sat down to chat about being the only video game gangsta among the bank robbers and real thugs. How did the other cons respond to you? I mean, your crime is pretty lightweight. They all thought it was a joke. I'm the square. I like to think I'm a badass, but I'm not. You've got guys in here for heinous shit. Hate crimes, murder, kidnapping. I got shit from them when I first got here. Guys were like "what gang are you with?" and stuff like that. I was like, dude, I'm a guy who rides a skateboard. How much are you allowed to leave the house, and what's your schedule like? You're allowed 10 hours out every day, but only to work. They get $1,200 a head from the state to house you, then they take 25 percent of your earnings and make you work. Then they call your job twice a day and you have to call them four times a day. They berate you. It's really wack. Imagine if you're a real con trying to get a job. What bullshit! Have you learned any major lessons being in here? No, not really. I learned how one can rob a bank. I also learned not to fuck with homeland security. [/QUOTE] Read the full interview with Jason at LAist. Tell us, how do you feel...

[Software2]

I'm glad they took another hardened criminal off the streets!

Though, in all seriousness, it sounds like he got off really easy. Maybe he shouldn't be mixed in with violent criminals, but that's a risk you take for stealing from people's livelihood.

[Python]

Here in Brasil we call that Crime College.
You put a man that commited a light crime together with badasses and they will teach that guy how to be a true criminal.

Instead of correcting the guy you are just creating a new criminal.

Thats also the guilt of a dumb judge that has to make this guy do some community jobs and things like that. But maybe this guy from the interview had a criminal record before. Not normal to punish someone like this unless by pressure of Microsoft.

[chuckthefuk]

With WAR/HATE/HUMANITY CRIMES... this is the best they could do.. put a skater in jail.. :-/ God damn.. USA Land of the Government.

[1nsan3]

modding xbox game consoles, yes is a crime, but remember, What is the reason you are put in jail/prison?
Answer: because you are a threat to society. Modding game consoles is not a threat, this is the reason our prisons and jails are so over populated, because our pathetic government.
selling modified consoles well duh ya get what ya deserve.

[lc204]

That full interview revealed more than I wanted to know. Like the guy has a weed license and he likes to sleep naked. Btw, how do you get a weed license anyway?

[col_klink]

So what exactly WAS the crime? Selling modified consoles, or was he pirating games? So far, I've only seen people really get nailed for selling pirated games.

[cowsn]

modding xbox game consoles, yes is a crime, but remember, What is the reason you are put in jail/prison?
Answer: because you are a threat to society. Modding game consoles is not a threat, this is the reason our prisons and jails are so over populated, because our pathetic government.
selling modified consoles well duh ya get what ya deserve.

its a threat to the game industry. if he sells 1000 modded boxes so that other people can rip 30 games to their hdd; thats 30,000 games equal to nearly $150,000. takin that much money is a threat, especially if it happens a lot all around the world. the reason why its a direct threat is cause the company could go out of business for not selling those 30,000 games.

[rrg]

They have to make an example of someone as to what could happen so people don't try it.


The punishment is now public record and on the books. It could happen to anyone.









This post has been edited by rrg: Feb 21 2007, 08:28 PM

[bigmac_375]

that is just crazy for them to handle it like that. for god sake this is a victimless "crime"!!!

[Cyberdude93]

To be perfectly fair, he says that if it weren't for the weed, he'd just have six months house arrest. I don't know WHY smoking weed got him in that place (the UK police can supposedly turn a blind eye if you're doing it in private, is the US so much more strict?), but the point being it wasn't entirely modded Xbox related.

That said, what ever happened to just fining him?

[epsilon72]

It's good to know that our tax dollars are being put to good use

Stupid, useless, bloated, overgrown government.

[dr3yec]

To be perfectly fair, he says that if it weren't for the weed, he'd just have six months house arrest. I don't know WHY smoking weed got him in that place (the UK police can supposedly turn a blind eye if you're doing it in private, is the US so much more strict?), but the point being it wasn't entirely modded Xbox related.

That said, what ever happened to just fining him?

Dude over 60% of the people in jail here in the USA. Are for drugs. Sounds crazy I know. We have a government that is for the people. But really it is our government putting us in jail. Drugs keep growing and growing. With know end in site. Weed is the #1 crop in America. It is time to end prohibition! Alot of good honest people in jail for smoking weed. Hmmmmmmmmmm.

[tom_mandory]

What is the reason you are put in jail/prison?
Answer: because you are a threat to society.

how about breaking the law?

[mwbuck]

Amid a probe, undercover agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reportedly paid $265 to have a modification chip, a hard drive and 77 pirated games installed on an Xbox, according to the criminal complaint.

From Forbes Story

US Dept of Justice Report

So it looks like he got busted for conspiring to do the following:

1) traffic in a technology used to circumvent a copyright protection system;
2) infringe on a valid copyright for financial gain; and
3) willfully infringe a copyrighted work by reproducing and distributing pirated works worth more than $1,000.

This post has been edited by mwbuck: Feb 21 2007, 09:13 PM