22 July 2010

Videogames counterfeiter re-imprisoned for failure to pay back proceeds of crime

London, United Kingdom, 22nd July 2010 – ELSPA was delighted by the re-imprisonment of convicted videogames counterfeiter Steve Adams, for failure to pay back money made from his criminal activity under a Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) Investigation. Mr Adams is now serving a further two years in prison for running a videogames counterfeiting scam across the Midlands and North West England.

On conviction in 2008, Mr Adams was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for more than 50 trademark offences, after a total seizure of 32,000 discs was made.  Mr Adams, his girlfriend Julie Frendo and accomplice Greg Gartside ran the scam from 2004 to 2008, earning them approximately £200,000 and costing the videogame, music and film industries an estimated £1million. Father-of-three Adams was jailed for three years following a major investigation by Wolverhampton Trading Standards, West Midlands Police and investigators from ELSPA.

Following this conviction, a POCA Investigation was started to retrieve the illegal gains made by Mr Adams from the scam, which he had used to fund a lavish lifestyle.   This culminated in a court order stating that Mr Adams must pay £109,000 by 5th December 2009, and that if he did not pay, then he would serve a further 2 years imprisonment.

Having failed to pay back the money, this further two year sentence was enforced at a breach hearing in Birmingham Magistrates Court.

Michael Rawlinson, Director General of ELSPA, said: “We are very pleased that Mr Adams has been re-imprisoned following his refusal to pay back the money made through this highly illegal scam.  Despite serving a further two years in jail, thanks to the POCA appeal Mr Adams will still be liable for the debt upon release, which really does send the message to all would-be IP thieves that crime does not pay.”  

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Contacts:

For all press enquiries, please contact the ELSPA press office on T: +44 (0)20 7300 6143 or E: press@elspa.com

About ELSPA

The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association represents all the major publishers of games in the UK. Founded in 1989 to establish a specific and collective identity for the country’s interactive leisure software industry, membership includes companies publishing and distributing leisure software in the UK. As a gateway to Europe, ELSPA works to protect, promote and provide for the interests of all its members as well as addressing issues that affect the industry as a whole, such as age ratings, child safety and IP protection.

ELSPA works with members and media to illustrate the beneficial contributions that the UK videogames industry makes to the British economy as well as its influence in other industries. In addition, ELSPA works with GfK Chart-Track to compile weekly, monthly and annual retail charts and sales reports for the UK market.

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