Former Jagex developer sentenced for stealing $400,000 in virtual gold

Andrew Lakeman, a former content developer for the MMORPG Old School RuneScape, has been sentenced to a three-year prison term, suspended for two years, following the theft of in-game wealth from players. Known to the community as ‘Mod Jed,’ Lakeman used his position at Jagex to access high-value player accounts and steal gold and items, which he then sold on the black market for more than £300,000 (approximately $407,000).

Jagex identified the suspicious activity in 2018 after noticing unusual account recoveries involving valuable items. To catch the perpetrator, the company conducted a covert investigation, modifying firewalls and restricting account recovery methods to trace the activity back to Lakeman’s home address and devices. While Lakeman initially claimed his own account had been compromised, he was subsequently dismissed.

Following an investigation by Cambridgeshire Police, Lakeman pleaded guilty to theft by employee and unauthorized computer access. In addition to the suspended sentence, he was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and a 25-day rehabilitation program. Investigators also found he had banked nearly $493,000 in cash from cryptocurrency dealers.