Andrew Lakeman, a former Old School RuneScape developer known to the community as 'Mod Jed,' has been sentenced following a lengthy investigation into the theft of in-game gold and items from players. Lakeman was hired by RuneScape maker Jagex in 2015 as a content developer. According to accounts from former colleagues, he used other employees' credentials to manipulate the game's account recovery and appeals system, allowing him to remove gold and high-value items from player inventories starting around mid-2018.
Lakeman then sold the stolen items and gold through secondary markets, converting the proceeds into cash and cryptocurrency. Estimates of how much he made vary across reports: one figure puts the total near half a million, another cites more than $400,000, and a further report states investigators found more than £364,829 banked in cash from cryptocurrency dealers, with the scheme estimated to have netted over £300,000. Private messages reportedly showed Lakeman telling his wife he planned to target high-paying accounts and 'make a lot of money' before leaving the company.
Jagex's support team initially believed the missing items were the result of a glitch. When the losses continued, the company launched an internal investigation and came to suspect the culprit was an employee, since accounts were being recovered using information only insiders would know. Jagex quietly strengthened its security measures without alerting most of the development team, setting a trap that caught Lakeman. He was fired and reported to police, who arrested him in July 2019. Lakeman initially denied wrongdoing, at one point suggesting his own account had been compromised, but an examination of his devices and financial records was used to build the case against him.
Lakeman was charged with unauthorised computer access with intent to commit other offences, theft by employee, and offences related to concealing, converting, or acquiring criminal property. He eventually pleaded guilty. On September 3, at Cambridge Crown Court, he was sentenced to three years in prison, suspended for two years, along with 150 hours of unpaid work and a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement. Detective Constable Andrew McKeane said Lakeman was well aware what he was doing was wrong, adding that the money gained from selling in-game items is no different from any other theft and that virtual crimes will face the full force of the law, and that the justice system will need to keep pace with new and emerging offences tied to online and virtual worlds.
The case has also shaped legal precedent around virtual property. Earlier this year, the UK Court of Appeal ruled that RuneScape gold can legally be classified as 'property' subject to criminal theft, overturning an earlier assessment that such gold was not rivalrous and more akin to pure information. Separately, in 2022 Lakeman won a partial victory in an unfair dismissal counter-complaint against Jagex, though his financial award was significantly reduced and he did not secure reinstatement.
The saga arrives as game makers face broader scrutiny over secondary markets tied to in-game currency, particularly on platforms popular with young audiences such as RuneScape, Roblox, and Fortnite. Valve is set to face questions from the New York State Attorney General over its handling of loot box revenue and resellers. Meanwhile, Jagex has continued to grow Old School RuneScape, recently holding its largest live esports event to date and introducing reforms aimed at cheating and gold selling, with the game reportedly reaching a low point in bot and gold-seller activity.