As reported by UK local paper the Norwich Evening News, a Gaming Centre Assistant Manager at major online board game retailer Zatu Games has admitted to stealing roughly $20k (£15,331) from his employer between October 2024 and February 2025. Luke Blakemore appeared at Norwich Crown Court on May 6 to be sentenced, after entering a guilty plea to charges of theft and fraud.
Norwich Evening News describes the scheme Blakemore used to pilfer from his employer. The 32 year old assistant manager reportedly used a personal card reader when serving customers, scanning board game purchases but taking the payment for himself. According to the report from the court, prosecutor Richard Paterson said the fraud was neither impulsive nor a one-off affair - using a personal card reader required planning, and the fake sales were made over an extended period.
Reportedly, Zatu Games first got wind of the thefts after spotting discrepancies between stock records and actual inventory, and then set about investigating. It did not enter a victim statement to the court. We reached out to Zatu and they provided this statement:
"This has been a long legal process and we're pleased that justice has been served. Mr. Blakemore's approach was calculated fraud which directly compromised consumer trust and our customers' legal rights including warranties, returns and valid proof of purchase. Our customers are, and have always been our main priority. Mr. Blakemore's actions deceived our team, our community and our customers so we're pleased to now put this behind us. We would like to thank the authorities and Norwich Crown Court for their work during this time. We're now moving forwards and will continue to grow and support the gaming community, as we always have done"
Blakemore's barrister, Jonathan Goodman, reportedly said that Blakemore had made a bad decision in response to shame and embarrassment at not being able to support his household effectively on his salary, as well as stating that he had no prior record of misconduct. He emphasized that Blakemore also had a number of mental health problems, and had shown genuine remorse.
The judge reportedly described Blakemore as abusing a position of trust. Blakemore received a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and has been ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid community service work.
This article was updated on May 7 at 16:43 to incorporate comments from Zatu Games.
For a weekly roundup of all the biggest news in tabletop gaming, subscribe to the regular Wargamer newsletter.