Back in 2005 Jason Jones, the owner of the swank ACME game store in LA, was arrested on charges of violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act for "allegedly pirating video games and installing them on modified Microsoft Corp. Xbox consoles". To arrest him, a bunch of Customs Agents raided his store in body armour, armed with shotguns. Overraction much?

He managed to dodge the maximum penalty of five years jail and a $250,000 fine, but was still ordered into six months probation/light detention. LAist sat down for tea and biscuits with this hard-assed criminal mastermind and uncovered...a guy who just should not be in prison.

LAist: How did the other cons respond to you? I mean, your crime is pretty lightweight.

JJ: They all thought it was a joke. I'm the square. I like to think I'm a badass, but I'm not. You've got guys in here for heinous shit. Hate crimes, murder, kidnapping. I got shit from them when I first got here. Guys were like "what gang are you with?" and stuff like that. I was like, dude, I'm a guy who rides a skateboard.

Coming from a country where modded consoles are now legal, this just boggles my mind.

LAist: Have you learned any major lessons being in here?

JJ: No, not really. I learned how one can rob a bank. I also learned not to fuck with homeland security.

No. Best not fuck with them at all. Who knew this presented such a grievous threat to homeland security? Luke Plunkett

Dispatches from a Hollywood halfway house [LAist, via GameSetWatch]

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