Andrew Lakeman, 32 — formerly Jed Sanderson, known to Old School RuneScape players as Mod Jed — was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday, September 3, 2026, after pleading guilty to charges stemming from an eight-year virtual-theft investigation. Primary local court coverage: Cambridge Independent’s September 4 sentencing report. Secondary U.S./UK gaming wrap: PC Gamer (Ted Litchfield, September 5). Cambridgeshire Constabulary also published an official note at cambs.police.uk.
Lakeman began as a Jagex OSRS content developer in November 2015. Reporting says he abused account-recovery / privilege pathways to strip virtual gold and high-value items from player accounts, then sold that “game wealth” on the black market. Jagex dismissed him after a 2018 sting; police arrested him in July 2019. Charges as reported include unauthorised computer access with intent, theft by employee, and money-laundering-style criminal property counts (conceal/disguise/convert/transfer/remove and acquire criminal property).
Sentence lock: a three-year custodial term suspended for two years — not immediate custody / not “went to jail” for this sentence. He was also ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement. A Proceeds of Crime Act timetable aimed at recouping proceeds is due to conclude in February 2027; that is a recovery timetable, not a finalized restitution total — do not invent a closed POCA figure.
Prefer sterling figures from police/local reporting: sold for more than £300,000 on the black market; banked more than £364,829 from crypto dealers. Dollar approximates in secondary coverage (~$400k / ~$407k on sales; ~$490k on the banked figure) should be attributed as conversions, not as a separate official total. Do not use unattributed £543k / $750K valuations from older civil-case chatter as this sentence’s numbers.
Detective Constable Andrew McKeane, quoted via the Constabulary / PC Gamer: virtual worlds still face real-world enforcement — “Just because it’s virtual, doesn’t mean he shouldn’t face the full force of the law.” This is a UK Cambridge Crown Court case, not a U.S. court framing. Jagex is not being treated here as corporate-liable for the thefts. Lakeman was not previously jailed for this case.
Related live games coverage on RCG News: Onimusha: Way of the Sword launches worldwide.
What this story is not claiming: a finalized POCA/restitution total; U.S. court jurisdiction; immediate prison / “went to jail” for this suspended sentence; Jagex corporate liability; unattributed £543k/$750K valuations; or that Lakeman was previously jailed for this case.
