Hacker Has To Pay Nintendo 25-30% Of His Salary For The Rest Of His Life After Being Released From Prison

A man involved in a failed Nintendo hacking operation is now facing the burden of paying the company 25-30 percent of his salary every month until his sizable debt is cleared.

Back in October 2020, Gary Bowser—yes, that's his real name—was arrested for his involvement with a group known as Team Xecuter.

This group, Team Xecuter, specialized in creating mod chips, cartridges, and software for jailbreaking game consoles, including the popular Nintendo Switch.

To put it simply for those who aren't into gaming, the group enabled people to play games for free, which was a major issue for gaming companies like Nintendo.

As of his release, Bowser owed Nintendo $10 million. CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images

After his arrest, Bowser pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges in the next year, admitting he had sold devices that allowed hacking of the portable Nintendo console.

The Canadian, aged 53 at the time, was sentenced to 40 months in prison in the United States and was ordered to pay a whopping $14.5 million for his role in the hacking scheme.

In 2023, Bowser was released early from prison. Though he was free from incarceration, this marked the beginning of a new challenge for him: making substantial monthly payments to Nintendo.

Upon his release, in an interview with YouTuber Nick Moses, Bowser discussed his early release.

He mentioned it was partly due to his age, health issues affecting his mobility, and his Canadian citizenship.

He noted he was returning to the Toronto area, but emphasized that leaving the U.S. didn't mean he could escape the financial obligation to Nintendo.

At the time of his release, Bowser was facing a $10 million restitution and a $4.5 million fine, totaling $14.5 million owed to Nintendo.

In his April 2023 interview with Moses, Bowser revealed that he had only managed to pay $175 toward his debt.

Indeed, that’s correct—no extra zeroes were missed.

Bowser indicated that upon returning to Canada, he wouldn't have to worry about the $4.5 million fine.

However, he had arranged with Nintendo to have portions of his salary deducted to address the $10 million debt.

Bowser was sentenced to 40 months in prison. YouTube / NickMoses05

He explained that these deductions had begun with $25 monthly payments from his earnings at a prison library job.

Yet, with a significant balance remaining, he faced the daunting prospect of possibly paying Nintendo for the rest of his life.

"The agreement with them is that the maximum they can take is between 25 to 30 percent of your monthly gross income. And I have, like, six months before I have to start making payments," Bowser told Moses.

Despite the huge revenues Team Xecuter generated, Bowser claimed he received only a small portion of those earnings.

Of the three members of the group, Bowser was the only one tried and convicted in the U.S.; one member, a Chinese national, was never arrested, and another was not extradited to the U.S.

Initially, Bowser faced 11 felony charges, including wire fraud, conspiracy to circumvent technological measures, trafficking in circumvention devices, and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

In a February 2024 interview with The Guardian, Bowser said he had secured housing and was paying Nintendo "what [he] can," which "won't be very much money, that's for sure," as he is still job hunting and relying on donations for his medical care.

However, he concluded, "It could be a lot worse."