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

London, 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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