A 45-year-old man from California pleaded guilty in federal court to stealing almost $5 million from the company he worked for.
Among all the things that he spent the money on, the man admitted that he spent $1 million on mobile app Game of War.
Stolen Money Spent On Game Of War
Kevin Lee Co admitted in Sacramento federal court that he stole $4.8 million from Holt California, a heavy equipment company, where he worked as a controller. The embezzlement occurred between May 2008 and March 2015.
In Co's guilty plea, he admitted that he spent the money that he stole on items such as plastic surgery and season tickets for the NFL's San Francisco 49ers and the NBA's Sacramento Kings. Co also purchased luxury vehicles and a membership to a golf club, among many other things.
However, what was perhaps the most eyebrow-raising thing that he spent using the stolen money was the mobile app Game of War.
Game of War, an iOS and Android game that is developed by Machine Zone and marketed through advertisements that feature supermodel Kate Upton, is said to be one of the highest grossing mobile titles in the world. Co revealed that he spent $1 million on the app alone, which perhaps helped Game of War reach such great heights in terms of revenue.
Game Of War And In-App Purchases
Like most free-to-play titles, Game of War rakes in revenues through in-app purchases that players spend real money on. The in-app purchases provide various perks and bonuses to players, and for Game of War, the business model allows it to make as much as $1 million daily.
Game of War is one of the many empire-building mobile games that are out in the market right now, but it stands out because of how much money its players are spending on the game. The money that Machine Zone makes through the title's in-app purchases has allowed the company to sign Kate Upton as its endorser and purchase high-priced advertisement spots even in events such as the Super Bowl.
Co is up for sentencing in March 2017 in California. The maximum penalty in the state for fraud is 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, while for money laundering, the maximum penalty is also 20 years imprisonment and a fine of $500,000. While Co will likely not be spending that much time behind bars, he will likely see all the purchases he made on Game of War go down the drain while he serves his time.
