A sad day for the gaming community

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**Empchild**

http://royaloak.patch.com/articles/royal-oak-store-owner-charged-with-ripping-off-famous-movie-director

This is really just disheartning as I know the place and love it. I understand the pull sometimes to do anything to save your business but stealing in general is wrong let alone from Peter Jackson.

**GrimTeef**

Bad, bad judgment there. Guess the possibility of losing your livelihood makes people do incredibly stupid and shortsighted things. He deserves whatever punishment is meted out to him, but it is said to see another piece of the hobby fall away.

**R3con**

I've been there several times, its a damn cool store, not very 40k centric they sell some stuff but no play area to speak of. But man the stuff they have, its random and awesome alot of historical miniature stuff as well .

**SilverMK2**

Any chance of a C&P for those of us who can't see the site directly?

**Baragash**

SilverMK2 wrote:Any chance of a C&P for those of us who can't see the site directly?

Toy Soldier Co. Owner Charged with Ripping off Movie Director Peter Jackson

A Royal Oak businessman is facing federal charges for racking up about $200,000 in purchases on the credit card of an Academy Award-winning movie mogul.

Detroit attorney David Steingold said Wednesday that his client, Rick Berry, who owns Michigan Toy Soldier Co., is fully cooperating with federal investigators after he used the credit card of writer/director/producer Peter Jackson to purchase merchandise for his 11 Mile Road business. Jackson is best known for directing the Lord of The Rings film trilogy.

Steingold said his client is charged with credit card fraud at the federal level. Berry is to be sentenced Feb. 7 in a Detroit federal courtroom and he faces a minimum of one year in prison based on sentencing guidelines, his lawyer said.

The store owner obtained Jackson's credit card information after he made an online purchase. The attorney said since Jackson became aware of the charges in 2007, Berry has repaid about $100,000, putting him halfway to paying the credit card charges in full. Berry is paying about $2,500 a month, Steingold said.

Berry has fully cooperated with investigators, Steingold said, and is a well-respected community contributor, which he hopes will make a favorable impression on the judge when he is sentenced. Steingold said he hopes for house arrest. Berry has two children and cares for his 90-year-old ailing father on a daily basis, he said.

Berry's store on 11 Mile Road west of Campbell carries specialized collectibles, war memorabilia, historically accurate figures and model equipment.

The economy and the pressures to keep his business afloat led Berry to the bad decision to use Jackson's credit card, his lawyer said. “The idea was, he was going to pay it back right away,” Steingold said.

Employees at the store refused to talk on the record Wednesday. Berry was not in the store Wednesday and the store was quiet following a TV report that aired Tuesday night.

Berry is going through a difficult time now that everyone knows, his lawyer said. “He made a wrong choice, but he’s doing everything right,” Steingold said.

Berry's business neighbor Linda Stucky said she was surprised to hear the news.

“He’s a nice guy,” she said, adding he is a good neighbor. “It’s a fun store to go into.”

**Kanluwen**

He made a stupid decision, but has been actively seeking to provide reparations since he did it--and without the court stepping in prior to that.

*shrug* I see no real problems there.

**jmurph**

The court doesn't "step in"- it has to be brought before the court. In this case, federal prosecutors felt that it should be filed. It is somewhat odd, though, if they pressed charges after the victim had already worked out a repayment agreement. Oh well, conviction rates are how prosecutors build their resume.

**Kanluwen**

jmurph wrote:The court doesn't "step in"- it has to be brought before the court. In this case, federal prosecutors felt that it should be filed. It is somewhat odd, though, if they pressed charges after the victim had already worked out a repayment agreement. Oh well, conviction rates are how prosecutors build their resume.

I'm aware of how the court system works, thanks.
The point was that, at the timeframe when it suggests an agreement was worked out, charges hadn't even been filed(or at least that's the way the article presents it).

**Kilkrazy**

Kanluwen wrote:He made a stupid decision, but has been actively seeking to provide reparations since he did it--and without the court stepping in prior to that.

*shrug* I see no real problems there.

I agree.

The man had already realised his error, felt remorse, and was well on the way to making restitution.

I understand that justice must be seen to be done, so it cannot be ignored by the Law.

In the circumstances though, a custodial sentence surely would be excessive, and also would prevent repayment of the rest of the debt.

**Necros**

So, if he charged all that money but was paying it back... why couldn't he just get a real loan?

**Kanluwen**

Probably because if the store was doing bad enough that he would consider credit card fraud, a bank wouldn't give him one without charging absurd rates?

**SilverMK2**

Wow, wish I was the kind of person they would give an unlimited cap credit card to (although seemingly without checking for fraudulent purchases

)

**BrassScorpion**

You can't trust those miniatures hobbyists

**helgrenze**

Does make one wonder though.... just what did Jackson buy online from that store?

**Ailaros**

Exactly, how did this guy get Peter Jackson's credit card number?

**Manchu**

Kilkrazy wrote:In the circumstances though, a custodial sentence surely would be excessive, and also would prevent repayment of the rest of the debt.

While there are equities to consider in criminal law, there are also more rigid factors -- like the sentencing guidelines mentioned in the article. Once matters go to court, a lot of the humanity gets stripped out of these kind of situations.

**Kanluwen**

Ailaros wrote:Exactly, how did this guy get Peter Jackson's credit card number?

...Really?

Jackson placed an order through the store.

**Manchu**

Ailaros wrote:Exactly, how did this guy get Peter Jackson's credit card number?

Jakson made a purchase from his online store. Jackson is an avid wargamer.

**BrassScorpion**

Exactly, how did this guy get Peter Jackson's credit card number?

Reading the article at the link provided in the original post would have answered that question. As is often the case on this forum, some people only know how to use the Internet to go to this forum and appear incapable of ever looking at another site. Look how many times people ask for information here on GW products when that information is already showing on the GW website. It's ridiculous.

I also have to question the title of this topic. It's not like no gamer or hobby store owner was ever revealed to be dishonest before. It's just another sad day for the gaming community.

**Grey Templar**

Manchu wrote:
Ailaros wrote:Exactly, how did this guy get Peter Jackson's credit card number?
Jakson made a purchase from his online store. Jackson is an avid wargamer.

Yes, Peter is one of the 5 regular players of GW's LOTR game

**ArtfcllyFlvrd**

Manchu wrote:Jackson is an avid wargamer.

I had no idea, but he does have the physique for it.

**BrassScorpion**

ArtfcllyFlvrd wrote:
Manchu wrote:Jackson is an avid wargamer.
I had no idea, but he does have the physique for it.

That comments is way, way, waaaay out of date assuming it was meant to point out his being overweight. Have you seen how Peter Jackson looks lately? He lost a ton of weight a few years ago. He got smart and decided he wanted to live to enjoy all that money he made off LotR movies.

**Empchild**

For those saying that "well he messed up but that's ok because he's paying it back" you are just wrong on so many level. 200k is Grand Larson and I am a firm believer if you break the law no matter what you deserve to be punished to the extent. That is almost as good as saying the former founder of the crips is a good person because even though he killed people he felt remorse and wrote childrens books. A man accepts the punishment he is dealt for his crimes, but to write it off sets a very bad presidence. Honestly that reviles me that you even think it's ok and says a lot because this man still broke the law. Not all business owners break the law, I report all of my taxes I collect to the state monthly like they like. I tell my tax attorney every dime I make for the simple fact that sooner or later if you break the law you will get caught and then the punishment is far worse. The easiest way to not get in trouble is to simply not do anything wrong. Too many people say that's impossible but it's not. Heck I was one of a few soldiers in my platoon during my career who didn't get brought up on judicial punishment for the simple fact that the few times I did mess up I owned up to it right away, and though I may have had a strong coat of sweat on me after a few hours on punishment I never had my rank, or money taken away or most importantly my honor and dignitiy.

**Kanluwen**

You're overreaching Emp. Noone's saying "Awwww, well he's paying it back it's totally okay!". If anything, it's just pointing out that fact should be taken into account for sentencing.

But it sure as hell isn't "a sad day for the gaming community", excepting that it happened to an influential mainstream figure in the gaming community.

**ArtfcllyFlvrd**

BrassScorpion wrote:
ArtfcllyFlvrd wrote:
Manchu wrote:Jackson is an avid wargamer.
I had no idea, but he does have the physique for it.
That comments is way, way, waaaay out of date assuming it was meant to point out his being overweight. Have you seen how Peter Jackson looks lately? He lost a ton of weight a few years ago. He got smart and decided he wanted to live to enjoy all that money he made off LotR movies.

To be honest I don't spend a lot of time following what Peter Jackson is doing with his life. But good for him, he looks a lot better.

**notprop**

I thought someone had died from the title.

Why should we be sad, he didn't nick anything off of us?

This is a happy story - Scrot got nicked after rich bloke didn't notice someone taking huge sums of money off of him + Celeb angle.

**Empchild**

Kanluwen wrote:You're overreaching Emp. Noone's saying "Awwww, well he's paying it back it's totally okay!". If anything, it's just pointing out that fact should be taken into account for sentencing.

But it sure as hell isn't "a sad day for the gaming community", excepting that it happened to an influential mainstream figure in the gaming community.

Ok thank you as I thought you meant he should be off scott free, but in the effect it is a sad day because yes the man is very influencial but on a private forum ,where a friend posted this, a lot of us small business owners are upset as this actually reflects poorly on webstores. Though you may not see it believe it or not something like this will hurt webstore sales as it begins to put little trust into the clients security for ordering. In a hard economic era where we are all struggling to make the sales things like this can really set the overall back. Few stores in general now a days don't have some form of web presense, and you want your clients to feel just as secure shoping online with you as well as in your physical store.

**Ketara**

Why is this in News and Rumours and not Off Topic?

**BrassScorpion**

Why is this in News and Rumours and not Off Topic?

It certainly is off topic. Some of the conversation is even off the off-topic topic.

**Albino Squirrel**

Of course he should go to jail. He stole a lot of money. He should also never own a store again. He betrayed his customers by stealing from one of them. When you buy something from a business using your credit card, you naturally assume they aren't going to take your credit card information and use it to buy things for themselves. That's illegal and should be punished.