Andrew Lakeman, a former content developer at Jagex known online as “Mod Jed,” has been sentenced by a UK court for stealing virtual currency and items from Old School RuneScape (OSRS) player accounts.
Lakeman was employed by Jagex, the Cambridge-based studio behind the multiplayer title, beginning in 2018. During his tenure, he utilized the game’s account recovery system to gain control of player profiles. After accessing the accounts, Lakeman transferred rare in-game items and OSRS gold to profiles under his control before liquidating the assets on third-party markets for real money and cryptocurrency.
Financial investigators found that Lakeman received £364,829 in cash payments from cryptocurrency dealers, with the overall operation estimated to have generated more than £300,000.
The case also established an legal landmark for the digital asset sector. Earlier this year, the UK Court of Appeal ruled that Old School RuneScape gold meets the legal definition of property, affirming that the unauthorized conversion of virtual assets with real-world financial value can be prosecuted as criminal theft and fraud.
