It’s not an uncommon occurrence for me to see something in gaming that makes me stop and question why I continue to live on this planet. It is, however, very rare that I see something in gaming and think to myself, “Why don’t we just nuke the entire universe?”
So, when this story slid across my computer screen this morning, I had so many questions. Because what would possess someone to sell $2 million in fake Nintendo stuff?
How do you even get this much fake Nintendo product?
A report from the New York Post reveals that a man from Long Island allegedly fired off an obscene amount of fake Nintendo hardware, including Nintendo Switch docks, through Amazon, of all places. My wrestling fan brain immediately thought, “Only MJF could be this diabolical.”
But that’s also because MJF is the only person I know of from Long Island. According to Nassau County DA Anne Donnelly, “For years, this defendant allegedly hawked hundreds of thousands of counterfeit Nintendo accessories for popular consoles and games through several Amazon seller accounts he controlled.”
Years. Multiple. And according to the report, he got caught because “The items were found to have incorrect serial numbers, product codes and designs, and incorrect Japanese language characters that exposed the ruse.” Okay, so here’s my next question. How are you so committed to the scam, but trying to pull it off on a global site with no knowledge of the language you’re imitating?
This isn’t even Frank Lucas getting caught because he decided to show off for one night. That was hubris. This is stupidity.
And he’s looking at a possible 15 years in jail on “conspiracy and trademark counterfeiting charges.” There are better ways to make money. I see rich, unfunny people on my fiancée’s TikTok all the time. You don’t even have to be talented to be rich. Just have a decent concept of video editing and a goofy hook.
Maybe he can run a “Get ready with me as I go to court” series. Insane.
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