AfterDawn: News

Fugitive apprehended thanks to 'World of Warcraft'

Alfred Hightower, wanted in Indiana for drug dealing and possession has been apprehended in Canada this week after Blizzard gave up his personal details from the popular online game World of Warcraft.

Deputy Matt Robertson and Major Steve Rogers were in charge of the investigation and say the breakthrough came after a tipster somewhat mentioned Hightower's addiction to the online phenomenom. "We received information that this guy was a regular player of an online game, which was referred to as 'some warlock and witches' game," said Roberson. "None of that information was sound enough to pursue on its own, but putting everything we had together gave me enough evidence to send a subpoena to Blizzard Entertainment. I knew exactly what he was playing — World of Warcraft. I used to play it. It's one of the largest online games in the world."



The so-called "subpoena" was just a polite request to Blizzard, but it paid off as the developer released Hightower's IP address, account information, billing address and his online screen name to the authorities.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 3 Jan 2010 4:02

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• 17 comments

• barryking

  SPAM removed

  3.1.2010 04:43 #1

• Ducky04

  a new slander against WOW players:
  "W.o.W. will put you in jail"
  
  LOL!

  3.1.2010 15:23 #2

• NINVIN21

  Bush kills Millions and walks free.
  This Guy goes to jail because he sticks to him self and gets High.
  
  wow How much Time/Money was wasted on this case what a Joke!
  
  What Kinda person Calls the Cops and Says There is a guy on my online internet game and he claims to be wanted by police or on drugs?
  
  
  He must of have been getting Pawned.
  What a Loser with no life Jesus.
  
  You have to be on Drugs to play such a boring Game.

  3.1.2010 15:57 #3

• cazer

  Originally posted by NINVIN21: Bush kills Millions and walks free.
  This Guy goes to jail because he sticks to him self and gets High.
  
  wow How much Time/Money was wasted on this case what a Joke!
  
  What Kinda person Calls the Cops and Says There is a guy on my online internet game and he claims to be wanted by police or on drugs?
  
  
  He must of have been getting Pawned.
  What a Loser with no life Jesus.
  
  You have to be on Drugs to play such a boring Game.it says he is a drug dealer. so i dont think he stick to himself, and how many people has he killed with his crap?

  3.1.2010 16:31 #4

• beanos66

  Originally posted by cazer:
  
  it says he is a drug dealer. so i dont think he stick to himself, and how many people has he killed with his crap?none junkies are idiots who kill themselves, but as he's playing WOW he's probably a hippie/stoner who deals in weed. But whatever the situation it definately wasn't in the millions ala Bush

  3.1.2010 16:51 #5

• cazer

  Quote:Originally posted by cazer:
  
  it says he is a drug dealer. so i dont think he stick to himself, and how many people has he killed with his crap?none junkies are idiots who kill themselves, but as he's playing WOW he's probably a hippie/stoner who deals in weed. But whatever the situation it definately wasn't in the millions ala Bush
  just becuase he was playing wow dont mean anything u seem to be missing that word dealer. must dealers deal in more then one drug. and how do you know its not in the millions. bush was just one man with an army. you dont think they are not as bad? bush is gone the drugs and the dealers are still here kill every day.

  3.1.2010 17:33 #6

• happyzoe

  haha:)
  so funny lol
  World of Warcraft Fan, A Suspected Drug Dealer, Get Caught With The Help of Blizzard.

  3.1.2010 21:48 #7

• gamedream

  wow:)
  he is a drug dealer, sound terrible:(
  thank blizzard for what they did for our wow players.
  i hope world of warcraft will be a safe place to play in, no drugs:(
  you can also come to wowgoldteam to have a look at the latest wow news and wow guide.

  3.1.2010 21:52 #8

• cyprusrom

  Originally posted by cazer:
  
  ... the drugs and the dealers are still here kill every day.I see some people are either blaming the dealer, or blaming the druggie...I don't think is that simple, a clear cut. Both have their share of blame...
  How about alcohol? It kills people and ruins lives(personal lives and the ones around them), so who's to blame,the alcoholics or the vendors? Or maybe the manufacturers?

  3.1.2010 22:42 #9

• embo22000

  Quote:Originally posted by cazer:
  
  ... the drugs and the dealers are still here kill every day.I see some people are either blaming the dealer, or blaming the druggie...I don't think is that simple, a clear cut. Both have their share of blame...
  How about alcohol? It kills people and ruins lives(personal lives and the ones around them), so who's to blame,the alcoholics or the vendors? Or maybe the manufacturers?well said. But you should blame the drugies. I myself became an alcoholic for 6 months of my life. I drank every day got wasted on weekends no one obligated me it was my choice. I still drink now but not on weekdays and only on parties etc. People want to feel pleasure some find it on sports others on video games, friends,sex,gossip,drugs,alcohol etc. Some of us just choose the wrong things to find pleasure in.

  3.1.2010 23:54 #10

• Joshewah

  Quote:Quote:Originally posted by cazer:
  
  ... the drugs and the dealers are still here kill every day.I see some people are either blaming the dealer, or blaming the druggie...I don't think is that simple, a clear cut. Both have their share of blame...
  How about alcohol? It kills people and ruins lives(personal lives and the ones around them), so who's to blame,the alcoholics or the vendors? Or maybe the manufacturers?well said. But you should blame the drugies. I myself became an alcoholic for 6 months of my life. I drank every day got wasted on weekends no one obligated me it was my choice. I still drink now but not on weekdays and only on parties etc. People want to feel pleasure some find it on sports others on video games, friends,sex,gossip,drugs,alcohol etc. Some of us just choose the wrong things to find pleasure in.Exactly. Its no ones fault but the user's. Dealers wouldn't exist if there wasn't a demand from users.
  
  Banning drugs in general is a form of censorship. Its a power play for the government to keep us in check whilst instilling the illusion of freedom.

  4.1.2010 11:55 #11

• Thomas61

  Hightower was wanted for selling schedule 3 and schedule 4 controlled substances as well as marijuana. Using NINVIN21's logic, Roosevelt and Truman each killed billions.

  4.1.2010 12:28 #12

• Ducky04

  Quote:You have to be on Drugs to play such a boring Game.
  DUDE!
  somebody needs to make a T-shirt of that. and it would have the Blizzard logo on the backside. hahahahahah!!
  

  if you like Azian babes, check out my Afterdawn profile.
  PSP Modding? Check this out: http://www.thebiostyle.com/tut001.html

  4.1.2010 23:43 #13

• babysatan

  I thought one of the side effects of drugs was paranoia? If so, the powers of paranoia obviously failed this poor stoned-out pill freak.
  BIG BROTHER IS IN YOUR INTERNETS!

  7.1.2010 10:44 #14

• blizz26

  Thats why he moved to Canada. Weeds legal there to a point. In Maine under 2 oz is now a fine, A mere violation. Like a traffic ticket.
  Weed isnt that bad and the States a slowly figuring that out. Some states are now taxing medical weed. Whats that say? More people die from booze daily. I havent heard too many people dying from pot.

  7.1.2010 11:29 #15

• IguanaC64

  I wonder where AD got the info that they just asked Blizzard for the info and it wasn't a subpoena. If so, it's pretty disturbing that they will just hand out your personal info to anyone who asks (yes...I realize this wasn't just "anyone", but the point still stands).
  
  Secondly, "dealer" charges can apply even if you're not a dealer depending on how much of a substance you have. This guy might not even be a dealer.
  
  You also don't know if the charges are even true. Seems like some on AD believe that they know if someone's guilty just by reading a news article. I guess you guys slept at a Clarion Inn last night...
  
  Me...it's an interesting story, but I'll wait for an actual verdict with proven facts before I start demonizing people.

  7.1.2010 11:39 #16

• KillerBug

  Quote:it says he is a drug dealer. so i dont think he stick to himself, and how many people has he killed with his crap?The US law enforcement consider pot dealers to be drug dealers...and pot does not kill (if anything, it prevents people from using more dangerous drugs like alcohol).
  
  If he is selling dangerous drugs, then he still isn't killing anyone... overdose = suicide. The only time a drug dealer is a killer is when he does the job with his own hands, a gun, intentionaly poisoned product, etc...

  7.1.2010 23:59 #17