Over on Philly.com (via GP) we learn about a USPS worker who was caught stealing games from Gamefly. He'd see their sleeve and *yoink* turn them into Gamestop for credit.
Quote:
A former Postal Service mail handler admitted in federal district court yesterday that he stole 2,200 video games contained in envelopes addressed to Philadelphia-area residents.
Reginald Johnson, 34, of Germantown, faces from 12 to 18 months in prison under preliminary advisory sentencing guidelines. U.S. District Judge Berle M. Schiller set sentencing for Jan. 13.
Authorities said Johnson was a mail-processing clerk who unloaded mail from tractor-trailers docked at the processing and distribution center in Philadelphia.
The feds said Johnson stole the video games, valued at $86,000, between April and September 2008.
"Tampering with mailboxes is a felony offense. Now I've done and called the police, I think you boys should get out of the car."
I'm kind of surprised that this doesn't happen more often. Gamefly, and Netflix are easily identifiable as disks, and also small and easily concealed so you would think more people would try stealing them.
I'm from Philly, and it would take me weeks to receive my games from Gamefly. I probably had to report six games being stolen in about as many months as a subscriber. 12 - 18 months for tampering with mail, and stealing 2200 games, seems a little light to anyone else? Not saying he deserves more, just saying.
2200 games in 6 months. Figure he works 5 days a week, 26 weeks, so that means 130 days at work, which averages out to about 17 games stolen PER DAY.
The gamestop thing doesn't make much sense, though. All he'd have is the game disc. Wouldn't you be a tad suspicious if a guy game in once a week with about 80 games and NO cases or manuals.
I know people are stupid, but it's still mind-boggling to see it in action. How could this guy not expect to be caught? The statistical anomaly of losing so many games from one location would eventually be noticed and he HAD to know he would eventually be caught.
The gamestop thing doesn't make much sense, though. All he'd have is the game disc. Wouldn't you be a tad suspicious if a guy game in once a week with about 80 games and NO cases or manuals.
Back when I worked for ebgames we'd have a guy come in with 3 or 4 new wrapped games every week who never wanted credit and we always had to take them.
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This explains why I would occasionally never receive a game and have to file it lost in the mail. I knew this crap was happening. Frustrating, especially when you were lucky enough to get a big name game the day it came out, happy to see it "shipping" only to never have it arrive then have to wait in line for another month.
Back when I worked for ebgames we'd have a guy come in with 3 or 4 new wrapped games every week who never wanted credit and we always had to take them.
Yep. I've been in that situation before during the one holiday I spent working for a Gamestop. We once got a full ream of like 20 games that were obviously "off a truck" that we had to buy.
The manager explained that there is a record of the purchase with the customer's information and that if the police ever investigate we would comply fully by giving their information out. So they can easily be caught, but it is so small-time that the thefts aren't normally investigated.
So you can steal $86,000 worth of videogames, and get about a year in jail, or you can download $24 worth of songs and be fined 1.92 million dollars. Judiciary system FTL.
No. Political and legislative system FTL. The judicial system is merely a reflection of our politicians' legislative priorities, and both Bush and Obama support RIAA fines in the millions for petty thievery/copyright infringement (call it whatever the heck you want; who cares).
And they're idiots for supporting such industry racketeering...
So you can steal $86,000 worth of videogames, and get about a year in jail, or you can download $24 worth of songs and be fined 1.92 million dollars. Judiciary system FTL.
steal 86,000 dollars worth of games gone from the mail= 18 months in jail,
steal one social security check for less than 300 bucks from the mail = 5 years in prison.
yeah, I love our Judicial system, almost makes me want to go steal 86,000 dollars of games from a post office.
I live in the Philadelphia area and on 2 different occasions I've had games I sent back to Gamefly not arrive (or arrive with nothing in the sleeve). I cancelled my service because I felt like I was going to end up having to pay Gamefly for missing games.
I'm from Philly, and it would take me weeks to receive my games from Gamefly. I probably had to report six games being stolen in about as many months as a subscriber. 12 - 18 months for tampering with mail, and stealing 2200 games, seems a little light to anyone else? Not saying he deserves more, just saying.
I think he absolutely deserves more. Heck, $86,000 for 1 year of your time really isn't all that bad a deal.
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I think he absolutely deserves more. Heck, $86,000 for 1 year of your time really isn't all that bad a deal.
Not to sound too serious, but I'd reevaluate your morals before you make that kind of judgment in your own life and you get thrown in a federal pound-me-in-the-ass prison.
The question is, will Gamefly have grounds to sue the Post Office over this and similiar incidents?
Also, I hope GF sues the crap out of this guy to recover the full value of all the games he stole. And not just the trade-in credit he got either--the FULL RETAIL PRICE. And I wouldn't even mind seeing some punitive fines dumped on top of this. Gamefly gets so much crap from the post office, I hope the GF guys work the USPS over. A company has to be held responsible for the activities of its employees, particularly when the behavior appears to be so indemic to the organization.
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