Valve is one of the top gaming companies in the world right now, thanks to their games and Steam service. As such, one would think they’d have good security to keep burglars out, right? Apparently, not so much. A news report from KIRO 7 (as reported by GamesIndustry International) confirms that a man is set to appear in court over the theft of more than $40,000 in equipment and games from the company.
Stealing from Valve
32-year old Shawn Shaputis has been given orders to make an appearance to answer for these burglary charges. Apparently, he had six warrants out prior to his arrest back in September. At the time, Valve charged him with burglary. In addition, the company learned that he tried to resell the stolen games at a nearby GameStop, thanks to a security camera.
This follows one of his previous crimes back in July this year, when he made off with a stolen FedEx truck and led police on a wild goose chase. Several packages fell out of the truck as a result, with Shaputis charged a week later. Should Shaputis fail to show up in court for the charge, he’ll face an unprecedented seventh warrant for his arrest.
No word yet on whether Valve is bumping up its security to prevent burglary in the future. But we’ve got a suggestion – turrets. Remember those ones featured in Portal 2? Setting a few of those up should do the trick, provided Shaputis doesn’t steal a portal gun to get around the problem. Engineered zombies wouldn’t be a bad idea either – though that might be a problem for a few of the late-night staffers. May want to put that idea on the backburner, Gabe.
We’ll keep you informed about any updates on the Shaputis case. But just a reminder, folks – crime does not pay. Especially against Valve and GabeN.
