Famitsu editor Eiichi Sato was arrested for alleged fraud. According to Asahi News, Sato is accused of pulling off an impersonation ruse to collect freelance fees for articles.
Sato was previously employed as an editor at Famitsu, a subsidiary of Kadokawa, and he was in charge of editing freelance articles. Famitsu, of course, is Japan’s most dominant legacy video game publication.
Asahi News and Tokai TV report that between March and June of last year, Sato allegedly filed three phony fees for articles he wrote that he attempted to pass off as freelance work. As part of his scheme, Tokai had purchased a bank ATM card from a man he met online. In total, he received around 400,000 yen ($3,650).
Sato has confessed to the charges. “I didn’t have any savings,” the 43-year-old is quoted as saying, “and I was worried about the future.” He added that he thought he would get caught but his desire for lots of money was stronger than those concerns.
Kadokawa added that it will “cooperate completely with the investigation.”
The police displayed the suspect’s computer and mobile phones as well as the bank booklets and bank cards for the Japanese media.