Joystiq

Call of Duty-free: PR managers sentenced for siphoning thousands

Alexander Sliwinski — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST

Everything in moderation, dear. The Daily Mail reports Activision UK public relations executive Kathryn Kirton has admitted to stealing £18,963 ($29,000). Her co-defendant, Jamie Kaye, who worked for third-party firm Frank PR, admitted to taking £5,000 ($7,600). The thefts occurred back in 2011 using money intended for promoting the Call of Duty franchise.

For her part, Kirton used the money for a romantic £2,000 two-night stay at a luxury countryside estate, a £1,500 engagement party and spent £9,437 in "one of three shopping sprees." It appears things started falling apart when Kirton, using the Frank PR corporate card for one of the sprees, had Kaye bill Activision for it as Modern Warfare 2 launch expense. Kaye admitted using the money to send his family on a £3,500 family vacation to Florida. He also stole six iPads.

Both pleaded guilty to one count of fraud. The judge sentenced Kirton to 18 months, but suspended it due to the "devastating effect" it would have on her young son. Kirton's marriage is reportedly on the rocks and the stress of the past two years caused her two-year-old son to be born prematurely because of the strain of the investigation. Kaye was sentenced to nine months, but that was suspended for 12 months. He's been ordered to 80 hours of community service.

Earlier this year, former Gamestop VP of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Chris Olivera was sentenced to 51 months in US federal prison after he plead guilty to embezzling over $1.7 million.

Seriously, folks, the accountants will catch up with you eventually. Well, you know, unless they're in on it.

Call of Duty-free: PR managers sentenced for siphoning thousands originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former GameStop VP pleads guilty to embezzling almost $2 million

Mike Suszek — Sat, 03 Nov 2012 12:22:00 EST

Frank Christopher Olivera, former GameStop VP of corporate communications and public affairs plead guilty Thursday to one count of mail fraud for embezzling $1,965,900 from the company.

According to the federal indictment, Olivera sent payments from July 2009 through April 2011 to Cloud Communications LLC. The Nevada company was fictitious, was "created and controlled by Olivera," and was used to funnel the transferred funds into Olivera's personal account.

"The company does not comment on matters pending in court, however, we will say that Mr. Olivera was terminated last year and GameStop has fully and completely cooperated with the government's investigation," a representative for GameStop informed Joystiq.

According to the Dallas Observer, up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine are the maximum penalties for the mail fraud charge Olivera plead guilty to.

Former GameStop VP pleads guilty to embezzling almost $2 million originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 03 Nov 2012 12:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former Baltimore mayor's telltale Xbox 360 now on eBay

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:00:00 EST

Here's a bit of backstory for those of you who don't follow the hot Baltimore news scoops: Sheila Dixon, once mayor of Baltimore, became the former mayor Baltimore after being indicted for embezzlement earlier this year. One of the main pieces of evidence in her trial was an Xbox 360 prosecutors claimed she purchased with gift cards given to her by local developers, which were supposed to be given to various charities.

The telltale 360 recently appeared in an eBay listing, attracting a number of prospective buyers hoping to get their hands on the game console/slice of Baltimore history. If you're interested in owning a device which is capable of single-handedly ending someone's mayoral career, the auction is still running. Its price is significantly higher than a standard console, but you've got to pay a premium for all that history.

[Via Baltimore Sun]

Former Baltimore mayor's telltale Xbox 360 now on eBay originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Mar 2010 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EVE Online's largest player-run bank freezes accounts due to massive deficit

Xav de Matos — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:20:00 EST

Stick with us, because this could get confusing: EVE Online has a long and storied history of in-game corruption, chock-full of enough political and social drama to make Ron Moore's head spin. The latest -- and actually, ongoing since June -- problem comes in the form of financial woes. On August 26, EBANK -- EVE Online's largest player-run financial entity -- revealed it currently has a (roughly) 1.2 trillion InterStellar Kredits (ISK) deficit and would freeze all player and organization accounts that were investing with the bank.

As with other MMOs, EVE Online's economy is completely player-driven. Users can adopt various play styles which affect the world's economic machine, allowing players to create and topple empires within the fictional world of New Eden. Where EVE Online differs is how users have expanded the tools given to them by developer CCP Games. Using the game's developer-provided API to create tools that can monitor various pieces of data, players have developed their own financial organizations, complete with standards and rules, like real world banks.

Sadly, EVE Online's largest player-operated bank mimicked real world financial institutions too closely.

Continue reading EVE Online's largest player-run bank freezes accounts due to massive deficit

EVE Online's largest player-run bank freezes accounts due to massive deficit originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GameStop employees fake PS3 theft, face charges

James Ransom-Wiley — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 14:55:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Sony PlayStation 3

Two GameStop employees were arrested earlier this week in connection with the theft of four PlayStation 3 units. Tauryn Robert Hodge and Gerald Anthony Keys, both 19, face charges of suspected embezzlement, burglary, and conspiracy. Hodge has also been slapped with a charge for filing a false police report.

Last Thursday, on the eve of the PlayStation 3 launch, Hodge told police that two armed gunmen robbed his GameStop and made off with four of the coveted consoles. Despite not yet recovering the stolen PS3s, detectives have determined that Hodge and at least one other accomplice were actually the ones responsible for the theft. Both Hodge and Keys have posted bail and are no longer in police custody.

[Thanks, Esteban]

GameStop employees fake PS3 theft, face charges originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 24 Nov 2006 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eriksson was driver in stolen car crash, says detective

James Ransom-Wiley — Mon, 01 May 2006 16:55:00 EST

Filed under: Culture, Portable

Detective Zack Conner testified that ex-Gizmondo exec Bo Stefan Eriksson was indeed the (intoxicated) driver during the now infamous Ferrari crash this past February in Malibu, ruling out claims that "Dietrich" - Eriksson's imaginary friend - was behind the wheel. In addition to the DUI charge, Eriksson has been pegged with embezzlement, grand theft, and possession of a gun by a felon.

The gaming industry's bad boy is no stranger to the criminal lifestyle. He served 5 & 1/2 years in Swedish prison for assaults, threats, and extortion.

See also:

[Thanks, elvisizer]

Eriksson was driver in stolen car crash, says detective originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 May 2006 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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