15 month sentence for Florida video game pirate

Kifah Maswadi of Oakland, Florida was sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay US$415,900 in restitution for selling pirate video games. Maswadi reportedly sold game console systems with as many as 75 preloaded games, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He received his sentence on Friday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

He was indicted on January 24th, and then pleaded guilty to copyright infringement offenses on June 3rd, according to the DoJ. The "Power Player" handheld consoles he sold contained games mostly from Nintendo and its licensees. He sold the consoles during 2006 and 2007, allegedly earning $390,000 in profits.

In addition to his 15 month prison term, the Judge also ordered Maswadi to serve three years of supervised release and inform the public of the perils of criminal copyright infringement as part of 50 hours of community service.

Written by: James Delahunty @ 18 Aug 2008 23:19

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23 comments

aldan

huh,profit to loss ratio really sucks,doesnt it.lol

18.8.2008 23:23 #1

CF01

i think he deserves it how are u going to try and make money off someone elses stuff

18.8.2008 23:44 #2

EricCarr

You have to be an idiot to think you can get away with something like this. These are the people that MS, RIAA, MPAA, and rest of those blood suckers need to go after. LEAVE THOSE Innocent kids and grandmothers alone.

19.8.2008 01:16 #3

Blackjax

Originally posted by EricCarr: You have to be an idiot to think you can get away with something like this. These are the people that MS, RIAA, MPAA, and rest of those blood suckers need to go after. LEAVE THOSE Innocent kids and grandmothers alone.Something about a snowball in a very hot place?!

19.8.2008 05:11 #4

susieqbbb

Ok look at this..

(The "Power Player" handheld consoles)

This guy is a moron these where banned in the u.s.a because people where building these units in japan and in china and loading them with tons of illegal nes roms so this guy is the worlds biggest loser.

19.8.2008 06:01 #5

ZippyDSM

Bootleging that nets a profit above 10K should be treated like drug sells and all property gained from the illicit profit be sold at auction by the state and the money split with the media mafia.

19.8.2008 08:08 #6

gallagher

You know, it really sucks that here in the US, and in many other countries, people get longer terms than others for much less violent crimes. I am a teacher and have seen violent criminals who have attacked others, some with weapons, who have been given out of prison sentences. Then we have white collar criminals who commit piracy or tax evasion or use drugs who are sentenced to time in prison.

I am sorry, but I would rather have a software pirate living next to me than a criminal who has sent people to the hospital.

I just saw on the news a week ago that the preacher's wife from Tennessee who MURDERED her husband last year and fled from authorities with her children, just got released from jail and got custody of her kids back--after MURDERING her husband.

Let's see the justice here: 12 months for killing your husband, 15 months for piracy . . .

Amazing the imbalance of punishment we have.

19.8.2008 08:14 #7

ZippyDSM

19.8.2008 08:29 #8

gnovak1

Unfortunately most laws seem to benefit the criminals more than the victims. Why? Because the victim isn't alive to defend himself?

Just my two cents !!

19.8.2008 09:45 #9

dssacer

Originally posted by gnovak1: Unfortunately most laws seem to benefit the criminals more than the victims. Why? Because the victim isn't alive to defend himself?

Just my two cents !!WELL in this case the victim is very well alive (RIAA,goverment,and all those stupid organizations that just want you to do what they say.)i'll like to be a flie in the wall and see the computers and consoles of the sons and family of all this agencies ppl including senators that pass laws against us the comsumer.i'll bet there's gotta be something illegal inside of it.
sorry for my bad inglish.just my 2 cents.

19.8.2008 10:16 #10

TSRSteve

I saw one of these in a mall in Tuscaloosa, AL a few years back and have always wished I'd have bought one. At the time I was wondering how they were getting away with having all of those copyrighted games in one system. I guess they didn't.

19.8.2008 11:06 #11

OneMember

Quote:Kifah Maswadi of Oakland, Florida was sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay US$415,900 in restitution for selling pirate video games.
Thats a good amount... can't complain.

19.8.2008 13:59 #12

lxfactor

whaa thats crazy.. i am from florida.. and ive seen these at the mall.. thats crazy i thought they was legit.. i guess not

19.8.2008 14:16 #13

borhan9

I think this is intresting. i feel that 15 months though is not fair a fine would be sufficent i think in this case.

20.8.2008 06:46 #14

LordRuss

Originally posted by gallagher: You know, it really sucks that here in the US, and in many other countries, people get longer terms than others for much less violent crimes. I am a teacher and have seen violent criminals who have attacked others, some with weapons, who have been given out of prison sentences. Then we have white collar criminals who commit piracy or tax evasion or use drugs who are sentenced to time in prison.

I am sorry, but I would rather have a software pirate living next to me than a criminal who has sent people to the hospital.

I just saw on the news a week ago that the preacher's wife from Tennessee who MURDERED her husband last year and fled from authorities with her children, just got released from jail and got custody of her kids back--after MURDERING her husband.

Let's see the justice here: 12 months for killing your husband, 15 months for piracy . . .

Amazing the imbalance of punishment we have.NO SHIT!!!

After getting out of the military I had a meth lab cooking out of an old camper trailer next door to me. Then a few deranged idiots showing up late at night yelling at the meat trap daughter. Couldn't find a cop at any time then...

It was only when I had called and said that someone was shot that they bothered to show up...

But when I got a card reader from a site that supposedly catered to boosting satellite tv!!! All hell broke loose... I never saw court time, but talk about F!@#$KED up priorities... I got better respect from the Latin street gang that lived next to me in Texas than these assholes...

20.8.2008 09:56 #15

Thoatih12

Quote:Originally posted by gallagher: You know, it really sucks that here in the US, and in many other countries, people get longer terms than others for much less violent crimes. I am a teacher and have seen violent criminals who have attacked others, some with weapons, who have been given out of prison sentences. Then we have white collar criminals who commit piracy or tax evasion or use drugs who are sentenced to time in prison.

I am sorry, but I would rather have a software pirate living next to me than a criminal who has sent people to the hospital.

I just saw on the news a week ago that the preacher's wife from Tennessee who MURDERED her husband last year and fled from authorities with her children, just got released from jail and got custody of her kids back--after MURDERING her husband.

Let's see the justice here: 12 months for killing your husband, 15 months for piracy . . .

Amazing the imbalance of punishment we have.NO SHIT!!!

After getting out of the military I had a meth lab cooking out of an old camper trailer next door to me. Then a few deranged idiots showing up late at night yelling at the meat trap daughter. Couldn't find a cop at any time then...

It was only when I had called and said that someone was shot that they bothered to show up...

But when I got a card reader from a site that supposedly catered to boosting satellite tv!!! All hell broke loose... I never saw court time, but talk about F!@#$KED up priorities... I got better respect from the Latin street gang that lived next to me in Texas than these assholes...
welcome to the good old united states hahaha

20.8.2008 13:40 #16

shummyr

I Say Lets allow piracy in the USA and maybe Prices on everything would finally drop

We Can Only Dream for this day

20.8.2008 13:47 #17

ikari

20.8.2008 14:39 #18

defgod

What's funny about this is the fact that I found one of these on ebay today.

20.8.2008 18:46 #19

varnull

Well 15 months should be long enough to get a good education in the ways of violent crime.

Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work. An engineer with a single tool in his toolbox is an idiot, not an engineer

20.8.2008 18:53 #20

LordRuss

Originally posted by varnull: Well 15 months should be long enough to get a good education in the ways of violent crime.Hahahaha, if that ain't the truth!

Buddy of mine that's retired from the prison system said some people need to remain medicated and some just plain need to stay locked up.

It's also nice to know that we (tax payers) are going to pay for his education to LEGALLY go back and do the same thing again.

Ain't love grand...

21.8.2008 08:54 #21

wiichess

23.8.2008 23:28 #22

dbminter

Originally posted by TSRSteve: I saw one of these in a mall in Tuscaloosa, AL a few years back and have always wished I'd have bought one.
You probably are better off you didn't get one. Those things are so cheaply made. I played with one on display in my local mall a few years ago and the down button on the controller only worked if you pressed it down and slightly to the side. They have to be made on the cheap in order to be so profitable, in addition to loading them with the ROMS they have no licenses for.

27.8.2008 20:45 #23

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