http://www.gametab.com/news/388376/
I've been out of the design world for a while, so this could be old news, but wow...
I knew the dude, too. Talked to him on AIM for a few months way back when.
http://www.gametab.com/news/388376/
I've been out of the design world for a while, so this could be old news, but wow...
I knew the dude, too. Talked to him on AIM for a few months way back when.
Not as if he was small time or anything!Quote:
selling pirated videogames and software on the Internet, which earned him approximately $192,000
Do the crime, do the time.
Holy damn. I used to talk to him too.
Crime's a crime, though.
Wow.
Must be a mistake, one of the slickest portfolios I've seen, awesome work, he cant possibly have needed the cash right?
Spockbert, that's exactly who I mean. Unless there's another Dashielle Ponce de Leon in Richmond, Texas...
I talked to him too in the past, had no idea he was doing this, he was one of the stars of flash design. Crazy. I can't believe he started doing it again after after being pretty much let off once.
...big changes indeedQuote:
Originally Posted by http://www.flashlevel.com/
Quote:
In 2001, several ESA members filed a civil action against Ponce de Leon for selling pirated game software over the Internet. As part of the settlement he had apologized in writing. But he was back on business a few months later.
Wow, what an idiot.
So how was he selling this pirated software? On Ebay?
Through his site? 192 g's is a lot of software.
i think its pretty funny the neews sections latest entry is "10/10/2005- big changes to come, stay tuned:)"
pirates are a dieing breed.. yarr!
better article - http://communitydispatch.com/artman/...cle_2416.shtml
apparently he goes to jail in January. He traded through a couple of websites, it's in the article above.
thanks aversion.
I don't get it though. How can you put up a website selling software like that and not expect to get caught?
Here's another link with more legal detail:
http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/cyberc...deleonPlea.htm
Seems he did this Dec 2002 through May 2003. Maybe one of those stupid things some people do to get out of a hole and end up paying dearly for the mistake later in life. Not an excuse by any means ... but he most likely wasn't using his successful design/hosting business as a cover. My guess is he did use this to fund the start-up of his business though.
<edit> damn, averson beat me to it
He was using paypal and shipping in the US... talk about a paper trail. I know he had a kid around then, which sucks since that's perhaps why he did it. No excuse though.
It's been 2 1/2 years since he was caught so I guess he's been expecting all this. Seems like they made an example out of him.
This is still kind of boggling my mind but clicky brings up a good point about starting up his business.
Only one person knows for sure.
<dr.evil>one miiiilllllliiiion dollars</dr.evil> - ouch!
I looked up to his work for years... still do. He got it bad.
Holy crap. WOW thats a shock :| I used to talk to him on AIM too...damn...
You mean the games he sold weren't legit?! ;)
Quote:
Originally Posted by zakp0
coming soon to tshirthell.com(r-rating for bad words and poor taste against humanity) im sureQuote:
i pirated $192,000.00 worth of software, and all i goot was 4 years in jail and this lousy tshirt
hmm. This thing happened years ago, and stopped years ago, but it's right now that they've come to this resolution.
You may have whatever opinion you want. He's a straight guy; did mistakes in the past, and he got over it, eventhough now he's gotta get the punishment.
I lived at his house last year, I've been working with him for a while, and all I can say is that what it's happening to him just sucks.
Again, you can have any opinions you have, but that is all you can have. When one doesn't know the whole story, it's impossible to judge.
He's a friend of mine, and I'm by his side in everything he needs.
That's all I have to say.
oh, and well, flashlevel as a company is staying, we're doing some necessary changes, but it is a business that will continue
The whole story? $192,000 says a lot. I could see a couple grand here and there, but come on. You can be by his side all you want, but I'd imagine you were able to "live at his house last year" BECAUSE of his indiscretions.
Sorry, but, an "OLD" won't cut it with this one.
The noble thing would have been not to engage in criminal conduct in the first place, as opposed to using an apology for legal tender against said conduct. How many millions of other people out there "make due" with significantly less than nearly 200 grand? If you can't be honest with yourself about that then you're completely missing the issue at hand.
ah I see he was forced into it. nice.
Heh
again, believe whatever you have to believe
Unless the whole story includes the fact that he didn't do it, I'd say he got exactly what he deserved. There is no legitimate excuse to steal.Quote:
Originally Posted by argonauta
I would guess that the judge on the bench for this case did get the whole story, so apparently it is possible to judge.
Perhaps you can elaborate on why you feel he didn't deserve what he got?
If I had anything to do with Flashlevel as a company, my first order of business would be to change the name. Association with a criminal never looks good, and I would imagine it won't be long until there's plenty of articles associating Ponce De Leon (did he change his name himself? That can't possibly be his birth name) with Flashlevel. That will be the end of any trust in the company for anyone who bothers to check up on the people they contract.Quote:
Originally Posted by argonauta
If you arent going to tell us what we are supposed to believe, then why
come here and tell us anything? The major fact available to us is that he made 190k from the illegal sale of software.
was he...
held up at gunpoint?
needed to pay a kidnapping ransom?
planned on donating the profits to the Red Cross?
Very sorry to hear this...
Excatly... he stole... he gets caught... he goes to prison.
Thats the way it works. If you worked with him and saw this going on, you should atleast have to pay a fine or something!
I've been working for a company before... as soon as I realised they were doing something dodgy I walked out.
There is no excuse, you can't just get away with it a little bit, you either break the law or you don't.
He broke the law. He goes to jail.
BOOOOO!... sucks that JAIl time is going to result from this instead of just a civil suit.
now instead of being a productive member of society and doing something in the community...he'll be sitting in jail eating up tax money for yet ANOTHER person who should be on some sort of supervision or alternative punishment.
Thats a whole other kettle of fish! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by whispers
But yeah, I agree with you...
Don't all of his websites have to come down now, as I assume they were made with illegal software?
Seamless! ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by silverx2
PS CS2 clone tool? LOL
I'm not defending what he did, at all,. but there's no point in taking stupid, cheap digs at the guy's name. It's a very old name that's still in use today and could most certainly be his birth name, especially in Florida where he came from I believe.Quote:
Originally Posted by JayCharles
that's what it comes down to.Quote:
Originally Posted by Markp.com
well..I think the PRISON part is very extreme? you even been to prison? not a nice or fun place to be.... definately NOT aplce for the bookworm/hacker/pirate to "learn his lesson"..you'd think they could punish him whiel making use of his talents for good..or toward the community..something...
sitting & rotting...and learning how to be a "REAL" criminal does noone any good.,