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Last year, a US federal court sentenced Gary Bowser to 40 months in prison. The Canadian pleaded guilty to being part of the Nintendo hacking group "Team Xecuter" and has now served his sentence. In part due to his good behavior, Bowser was granted an early release from federal prison. He is now in the processing center, preparing for his return to Canada.
In the fall of 2020, the US government accused three members from the infamous Team Xecuter group, the masterminds behind various Nintendo hacks.
The group allegedly made millions of dollars through its operation, which effectively shut down shortly after criminal proceedings began.
Authorities arrested Canadian Gary Bowser in the Dominican Republic and Frenchman Max Louarn was detained in Tanzania. The latter, a notorious hacker, miraculously managed to avoid extradition to the United States. The same cannot be said for Bowser.
40 months in prison for 'Seller'
As a supposed salesman for Team-Xecuter, Bowser was not a prominent figure in the operation. Most people knew him as "GaryOPA", the operator of "MaxConsole", a website that regularly reviewed Team-Xecuter hardware and other hacking tools.
Financially, Bowser's role was also quite limited. Of all the millions of dollars in revenue generated by Team-Xecuter, Bowser was paid "only" between $500 and $1,000 a month, his lawyer previously said. He did not deny participation, however.
Following his arrest, Bowser was deported to the United States where he pleaded guilty. Last February, Bowser was sentenced to 40 months in prison for his role in the criminal enterprise. The sentence is significant but less than the five-year prison sentence the government had requested.
During sentencing Judge Lasnik said it was important to "send a message" but agreed a reduction was warranted as Bowser played the smallest role of the three defendants.
early release
Bowser was later incarcerated at the SeaTac Federal Detention Center in Seattle. A few weeks ago, his lawyer filed a request for early release, citing the time credits earned by your client to date. That request was denied as moot earlier this month, as the Bureau of Prisons had moved up Bowser's release date.
In a recent video interview with Nick Moses, Bowser explains that he was released from federal prison on March 28. He is currently in processing at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, to prepare for his return to Canada.
Most of the paperwork has been taken care of and Bowser expects to travel to Canada in about a week, a newly issued passport in his pocket. Initially, the man in his 50s feared he would be stranded at the border, but ICE agreed to send him to Toronto.
“Due to my medical condition, my age and the fact that I was born in Canada and have family in Toronto. […] ICE is working to get me back directly to Toronto," Bowser says, adding that the method of transportation is still unclear.
$10 million in damages, $175 paid
At the moment, the Northwest Detention Center already offers much more freedom. Bowser is no longer restricted to a cell but instead stays in a dormitory, has more flexibility, access to decent coffee, and better food options than in federal prison.
It remains uncertain what his life in Canada will be like. However, in federal prison, Bowser has shown that he is not afraid to get to work and help others in need. Aside from his prison work, he spent several hours of the night on suicide watch.
The prison work brought in some meager income, a large part of which went to pay the outstanding restitution he has to pay, which is $14.5 million in total. So far, less than $200 has been paid.
“I have been making payments of $25 a month, which has been taken from my income because I had a job in a federal prison. I've paid $175 so far," Bowser tells Nick Moses.
If Bowser manages to find a stable source of income in Canada, Nintendo will get a piece of that as well. As part of a consent trial, he agreed to pay $10 million to Nintendo, which is the top restitution priority.
“The agreement with them is that the most they can take is 25 to 30 percent of your gross monthly income. And I have up to six months before I start making payments,” Bowser says.
At that rate, it's unlikely Nintendo will ever see the full amount. Or put another way, Bowser will bear the financial consequences of his participation in Team-Xecuter for the rest of his life.
