Man arrested for threats against Blizzard

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Grimula

Seems like the worst time to be Making False threats to people, Even if he was joking, its still a VERY BAD TIME in the world to be Joking around like that .

With all the terrorist attacks as of late, people will be on Guard twice as much Right now

SBFord

I think that more of these cases should be prosecuted -- too many people making threats online and towards developers or other users of forums, etc.. Whether idle or otherwise these people keep going on without feeling the legal heat for their actions. 

Renoaku

Well obviously he didn't use a VPN + Free Wi-FI, and TOR, but showing up with a AK-47 PROP wouldn't be illegal, although he could still be shot as there has been many false cases of people with fake guns getting shot by police.

One thing I do agree with though is Blizzard has made the worst decision over the years ruined wow all the way to the ground so not to wonder people would make a threat where it be real or not, but I am more concerned about what is going on with the founders of the companies helping the FBI with the Anti Piracy torrent sites and what Real Life actions people might feel they need to take to support keeping legit sites open which they are all back up again anyways.

Also with the recent FBI, DOJ attacking Torrent Sites rather than following the own DMCA take-down laws I don't trust them in any way I really don't even like them or see them as justice anymore, and I personally feel that there are better things such funds could go on rather than wasting time stopping digital piracy which is just making a copy of something not actual theft I know people argue this, but like I was stolen from Real Life too bad they didn't make a copy of my stuff too and I wouldn't have care but nothing was done despite giving evidence to the police. Starting to totally feel like in-justice the game to me.

Mendel

I wonder if the state of California will actually convict this guy.  Prosecution is pretty much a hollow gesture if there's not a real threat of conviction to go along with it.  It will be interesting to follow this case.

Albatroes

Would agree with SBFord, especially with all these shootings and attacks that have been happening world wide lately. You never know who will actually do it so better safe than sorry.

makasouleater69

You gotta be kidding me that whole thing is just broken to all degrees. 

svann

I just dont get how they can arrest someone for threats against a corporation, but if a man makes threats against his ex the police say "sorry we cant do anything if he hasnt done anything".

Xiaoki

svann said:

I just dont get how they can arrest someone for threats against a corporation, but if a man makes threats against his ex the police say "sorry we cant do anything if he hasnt done anything".

Did you perhaps forget that corporations employ .....people.

How about you ask the secretaries and mail room people what they think about this threat against a "corporation".

donger56

He probably just wanted to get arrested so he could get California to pay for his sex change operation or something. Prisoners and illegals in California are treated better than working citizens. The sooner that state breaks off and floats into the ocean the better. They can keep wow too. 

waynejr2

Renoaku said:

Well obviously he didn't use a VPN + Free Wi-FI, and TOR, but showing up with a AK-47 PROP wouldn't be illegal, although he could still be shot as there has been many false cases of people with fake guns getting shot by police.

One thing I do agree with though is Blizzard has made the worst decision over the years ruined wow all the way to the ground so not to wonder people would make a threat where it be real or not, but I am more concerned about what is going on with the founders of the companies helping the FBI with the Anti Piracy torrent sites and what Real Life actions people might feel they need to take to support keeping legit sites open which they are all back up again anyways.

Also with the recent FBI, DOJ attacking Torrent Sites rather than following the own DMCA take-down laws I don't trust them in any way I really don't even like them or see them as justice anymore, and I personally feel that there are better things such funds could go on rather than wasting time stopping digital piracy which is just making a copy of something not actual theft I know people argue this, but like I was stolen from Real Life too bad they didn't make a copy of my stuff too and I wouldn't have care but nothing was done despite giving evidence to the police. Starting to totally feel like in-justice the game to me.

haha .  don't trust TOR..........

Octagon7711

Mendel said:

I wonder if the state of California will actually convict this guy.  Prosecution is pretty much a hollow gesture if there's not a real threat of conviction to go along with it.  It will be interesting to follow this case.

Well, making threats on someone's life is a crime even if they don't intend to go through with it.  Make it to the wrong person over the internet and you will get a knock on your door.  Make it to someone who knows the system and you won't even get the knock, just the door kicked in before being taken off to jail.  

Kefo

Well if the person was joking they might just learn a very costly lesson in what is considered good taste.

baphamet

MisterZebub said:

Well I guess the old saying is true. You can't fix stupid. Oh well hope the guy has fun when his cellmates pay a visit to his orifice and cause a "disturbance."

lmao!! 10/10

Horusra

Mendel said:

I wonder if the state of California will actually convict this guy.  Prosecution is pretty much a hollow gesture if there's not a real threat of conviction to go along with it.  It will be interesting to follow this case.

It is not California, but the Feds doing this case.  Threats over the Internet or US mail are Federal crimes.

Horusra

svann said:

I just dont get how they can arrest someone for threats against a corporation, but if a man makes threats against his ex the police say "sorry we cant do anything if he hasnt done anything".

Depends on the threat.  For a threat to be more than freedom of speech it has to be specific and actionable.  If is say I am going to F you up or something similar it is too vague.  If I say I am going to stab you, punch you in the face, shot you and it is deemed reasonable I could carry out the action charges can be filed.

Horusra

Kefo said:

Well if the person was joking they might just learn a very costly lesson in what is considered good taste.

Misdemeanor can get him a year in county, felony up to 5 years in federal, terrorist felony decades in federal.

Mendel

Horusra said:

Mendel said:

I wonder if the state of California will actually convict this guy.  Prosecution is pretty much a hollow gesture if there's not a real threat of conviction to go along with it.  It will be interesting to follow this case.

It is not California, but the Feds doing this case.  Threats over the Internet or US mail are Federal crimes.

True.  A federal crime.  Probably being tried in the US District Court in Sacramento (initially).  Employing mostly people who reside in California.  'State of California' in my post was intended to refer to 'people in the state of California', not the State of California, which would have been capitalized.  I was in a hurry.

Kefo

Horusra said:

Kefo said:

Well if the person was joking they might just learn a very costly lesson in what is considered good taste.

Misdemeanor can get him a year in county, felony up to 5 years in federal, terrorist felony decades in federal.

It did say up to 5 years and 250,000 fine. I wonder if all the online harassment would stop or take a serious nosedive if people started getting arrested and charged like this

makasouleater69

svann said:

I just dont get how they can arrest someone for threats against a corporation, but if a man makes threats against his ex the police say "sorry we cant do anything if he hasnt done anything".

Because it depends on the circumstances. There aren't many details here, but if you make a threat to some one, and you literally have no way to go through with it, it is not a crime. So if this guy kept threatening them with a ak 47, and doesn't even have one nor does he have any means to get there, and there is no evidence he was even planning to do it, it would be a waste of the courts time because it would just get thrown out. Now if he does have a ak 47, does have plans some where then that is a different story. 

makasouleater69

Kefo said:

Horusra said:

Kefo said:

Well if the person was joking they might just learn a very costly lesson in what is considered good taste.

Misdemeanor can get him a year in county, felony up to 5 years in federal, terrorist felony decades in federal.

It did say up to 5 years and 250,000 fine. I wonder if all the online harassment would stop or take a serious nosedive if people started getting arrested and charged like this

I got a better idea, why don't people just stop this nonsense, both sides. If you get harassed by some one on the internet, and you honestly feel the need to call the police there is something seriously wrong with you. My real question is you must be really really young, because you never would of made it through school in my day, if you think some one needs to be punished 5 years and 250k fine for online harassment. You all lost your minds is what happened, and are so scared of everything, and call the police for everything, when they should only be called for violent crimes, and personal property theft.  Now I gotta actually look this up, and if I find out the person who did this, has no ak 47, or plans, and was just a bunch of emails and that was it, blizzard is terrible, the case is gonna get thrown out, and this is a joke. 

Well since they haven't released anything at all, except a grand jury saying he should have a trial, this is all mute and meaningless. Since no one but them know what was said. My guess then its all gonna get thrown out of court, and was a big waste of time, brought up by scared baby men, that think terrorists are going to swoop down and kill every one. 

And if you honestly think a grand jury means some one is guilty   you lost your mind, and either have no understanding of the court system, and def never been on a grand jury. I have been on one, and the whole thing is controlled by one side the DA, and every one is instructed you are not seeing if the person is guilty or innocence you are seeing if there is enough evidence to go to trial. 

So then, none of these means anything, intill some one posts the grand jury mins which wont happen for years, so what a waste of time. 

Albatroes

Swatting is a felony isn't it?

Incomparable

well, the fact that any court would rule on the situation to such an extreme shows they do not care for circumstances and do not tolerate words;

1. hes playing a game that takes up a lot of his time and can easily become emotional. so the environment creates a bad attitude especailly for someon that is anti social
2. trolls in the game, that even troll even more when your words do not hurt them, calling somone an e-thug etc provoking more rage and possibly stronger language
3. so easy to type a respone over the keyboard especially if its in a live situation, and in a forum i would say the circumstances are a bit different and it shows possibly somehing more maliscious.
4. the media is filled with lots of angry and negative ideas for out entertainment, and ofc we seperate these ideas from our actual actions, but when someone speaks their mind taking from these angry ideas, then thats where its coming from 

in no way should this behavior be enocuraged but it goes to show the kind of environment we live in. where we have to consider violence a reality despite someones record, we look at the world examples and that is what is being used as a measurement. Which is kind of a contradiction that if we can be entertained by so much violence, but then measured by the standards by those not fit to be even exposed to it.

So what if we lived in a world of no violence... and people were able to speak their mind, how would everyone react? If your good friend you know makes some awkward movie reference its different than someone you dont know...

Its just the world we live in can be a very dangerous place, and with all the media filling our heads with violence as an idea, and how easy it is to spout those non-sense ideas on the internet in the heat of the moment, its strange that it has to come to this. 

i guess he was too specific as well. if they investigate and find he is capapble of harm and says those things, then i guess its more serious. but imagine if its some kid, how would they deal with that?

Im not defending bad language, but 5 years for possibly typing a few words, as bad as they are...

ceratop001

It is probably an overreaction, but in today's nervous world they take everything serious. We are living in a world that is fear based, which is very sad.

Quizzical

Grimula said:

Seems like the worst time to be Making False threats to people, Even if he was joking, its still a VERY BAD TIME in the world to be Joking around like that .

With all the terrorist attacks as of late, people will be on Guard twice as much Right now

It's not like there is some other, good time to make death threats.

Quizzical

Mendel said:

I wonder if the state of California will actually convict this guy.  Prosecution is pretty much a hollow gesture if there's not a real threat of conviction to go along with it.  It will be interesting to follow this case.

Sometimes the process is the punishment.  If you come away with thousands of dollars in legal bills and months of wondering if you're headed to prison, it's not like you got off free even if all charges get dropped in the end.