GameFly Bandit?

[toef]

If this deserves to be in the off-topic, can a mod move it?

~~~

Apparently a Post Office worker has been intercepting GameFly rentals:

Originally Posted by Philadelphia Daily News

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.

The games were sent by GameFly, a company that rents online video games to subscribers through the mail for $15.95 or $22.95 a month.

The Postal Service's Office of Inspector General began receiving reports in late 2007 of missing GameFly mailings in Philadelphia, the government's plea memo said.

On Sept. 5, 2008, the inspector general conducted a surveillance operation of the center using test mailings.

Based on the surveillance, officials determined that Johnson was the culprit, the plea memo said.

Federal agents tried to arrest Johnson later that day as he entered his SUV in the center's parking lot, but Johnson sped off and later crashed his vehicle, the plea memo said.

Authorities said Johnson abandoned his car and fled into a neighboring yard with a duffel bag, which later was recovered.

The agents found 81 GameFly mailings inside the duffel bag. When they searched Johnson's SUV, they found a dark backpack containing 79 GameFly mailings.

Also in the SUV were five Nintendo Wii Sports, three Wii Fits, a Playstation console, game controllers and receipts from a business called GameStop.

GameStop customers can trade in used game DVDs to GameStop for store credit, which then can be used to buy other gaming equipment, such as Nintendo Wii consoles, the plea memo said.

Johnson told the court that he now works for Hatfield Quality Meats in Lansdale.

I found this story interesting, because I've only used GameFly for a couple months, but lost 2 games. One game was shipped, but never showed up at my house. Another was mailed back at the post office, but GameFly claimed to have never gotten it.

The other interesting part to the story is that the guy was supposedly trading the stolen games into Game Stop. Were the GS employees not suspicious about a guy who was constantly bringing in games without instructions or cases? It's not like he traded in a couple games... if he stole over 2,000 games, it's reasonable to assume he traded in at least several hundred.

[SGIBES]

what a douche

[Frenchy17]

Very interesting story Toefer! I have used Gamefly for almost 3 years and only one game got lost in the mail. They eventually received it like 3 weeks later though

[Sponge-worthy]

I have suspected similar goings-on with my mail delivery vis-a-vis Netflix movies.

[ratandjmt]

I've been doing Gamefly for about 3 years now and only lost/not received 3 games. Guess 1 a year isn't that bad.

[Xerios]

thats my area alright...

[Rblu-Dblu]

Originally Posted by SGIBES

what a douche

+1
that was going to be my quote exactly

[jamclaur]

-1... I wish I had 2000 new games... haha.

Nah, if it didn't negatively effect random people I wouldn't care that GameFly was getting ripped.

[supersix4]

Originally Posted by toefer

If this deserves to be in the off-topic, can a mod move it?

~~~

Apparently a Post Office worker has been intercepting GameFly rentals:



I found this story interesting, because I've only used GameFly for a couple months, but lost 2 games. One game was shipped, but never showed up at my house. Another was mailed back at the post office, but GameFly claimed to have never gotten it.

The other interesting part to the story is that the guy was supposedly trading the stolen games into Game Stop. Were the GS employees not suspicious about a guy who was constantly bringing in games without instructions or cases? It's not like he traded in a couple games... if he stole over 2,000 games, it's reasonable to assume he traded in at least several hundred.

lol the funny thing is he maybe got 5-10% of the value at gamestop lol.

[Rblu-Dblu]

Originally Posted by supersix4

lol the funny thing is he maybe got 5-10% of the value at gamestop lol.

He probably had to cut a gamestop employee in on the deal.

[Another_Dude]

"Johnson told the court that he now works for Hatfield Quality Meats in Lansdale."

Actually, Johnson was employed there until this afternoon when the HR Manager for Hatfield Quality Meats read this story...and solved their "missing meat" problem.

[b0bby]

here at work, i see people drop off their netflix and gamefly envelopes in these open mail bins. i dont even work for any type of mail center and i could easily snatch these up. stupid bank employees using the interoffice/outeroffice mail bins as a personal mail box

[Rblu-Dblu]

Originally Posted by b0bby

here at work, i see people drop off their netflix and gamefly envelopes in these open mail bins. i dont even work for any type of mail center and i could easily snatch these up. stupid bank employees using the interoffice/outeroffice mail bins as a personal mail box

do you work at Wachovia CIC?

[GamerPS3-X360]

Wow...stole that much games and trade/sold them off and only got 12-18 months in jail...

[MOONPHASE]

Originally Posted by toefer

If this deserves to be in the off-topic, can a mod move it?

~~~

Apparently a Post Office worker has been intercepting GameFly rentals:



I found this story interesting, because I've only used GameFly for a couple months, but lost 2 games. One game was shipped, but never showed up at my house. Another was mailed back at the post office, but GameFly claimed to have never gotten it.

The other interesting part to the story is that the guy was supposedly trading the stolen games into Game Stop. Were the GS employees not suspicious about a guy who was constantly bringing in games without instructions or cases? It's not like he traded in a couple games... if he stole over 2,000 games, it's reasonable to assume he traded in at least several hundred.

Well the problem with game stores like Gamestop and Game Crazy is that it doesn't matter if you have instruction booklet or the original case just as long as you bring in the game. There is no limit to how many you can trade-in at once.

[ScarredLungs]

Good point Toefer. You would think GS employees would start to get at least a little suspicious of all the games being turned in.

[Groo The Perverted]

damn I was thinking of setting up a Gamefly account on the 1st.

Now....I dunno.

[Sylin]

Originally Posted by GamerPS3-X360

Wow...stole that much games and trade/sold them off and only got 12-18 months in jail...

Gamefly can still sue him for damages. He might also be involved in a prison work program while jailed, and his wages would be garnished if it's part of his judgment.

[Ashamed Pegasus]

I have no doubt someone was doing this in my area as well... I had GF for 3-4 months and about every 3rd or 4th game would never be delivered to me... They actually canceled my membership on me because I reported so many games missing...

[jamclaur]

If you happen to have a Netflix account and live in the Massachusetts area and have had issues in the past with DVDs disappearing, well, this may shed some light on that: a postal worker who worked near the Netflix distribution center in Springfield has pled guilty to stealing over 3000 DVDs. He faces up to five years in prison.

--

seems to run ramped.