8-year Old School RuneScape saga comes to a close with former dev sentenced for stealing $400K in gold and items from players
After an eight-year legal saga, former Jagex developer Andrew “Mod Jed” Lakeman has been sentenced for systematically stealing in-game items and currency from RuneScape players. The 3-year prison sentence was suspended for two years, meaning he will not serve time unless he reoffends.
Lakeman, hired by Jagex in 2015 as a content developer for Old School RuneScape, exploited his administrative access to pilfer items from player accounts, then sold the stolen virtual goods online. Through this scheme, he accumulated over $400,000.
The misconduct extended beyond simple theft. Lakeman used credentials belonging to other Jagex employees to access the game’s appeals and moderation systems, manipulating account recovery processes to cover his tracks and escalate the severity of his crimes through unauthorized credential use.
The case illustrates a rare insider threat within a major gaming studio, where developer privileges were weaponized against the player base. RuneScape, a long-running MMO with millions of players, depends on trust that developer tools are used legitimately. Lakeman’s actions undermined both player trust and internal security protocols at Jagex.
This sentencing marks the end of a lengthy legal process that began following the discovery of his activities. The suspended sentence reflects both the severity of the financial crimes and the non-violent nature of the offense.