After a year of unemployment and a year of prison

By Shane Pitman
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iverson0881

Posted
Posted

Wow. razor 1911. in awe. I pretty much grew up on your releases.

I hope the job interview goes well with some good pay =).

As for prison, i can't even imagine what that would've been like. I read what you wrote a few pages back and it sounds like that wasn't even 1/239423948 of it. I don't have any specific questions just good luck man. =)

Enthusiast

heffe2001

Posted
Posted

I've known Shane for a very long time (what is it, 17-18 years now?), and went and saw him a couple times while he was there (wish I could have gone more, but that was a killer drive). From the visitor's perspective, the place looked more like a College campus. BUT that was only the visitors center. We'd get there at what, 8am or so and could stay until I think 3? They had food machines & stuff there, and the food wasn't exactly terrible, but was most likely beter than what he got in the actual prison.

We we going to see him about 2 months before he got out, but when I called his wife she told me he wasn't at that prison (was during the confinement time he had).

I hope he does get the job, I know him and his family could use it. I know in our area IT jobs are scarce, so I hope for the best :).

I just wonder how many people who were involved with his trial & stuff can honestly say they have paid for each and every thing on their PC's, I'm betting very few indeed...

Grand Master

Shane Pitman

Posted
  • Author
Posted
You said you were in the cell with another guy in the last part? What was it like to be stuck like that for so long? You could get some pretty intense conversations like that. What was that part like? I honestly would probably go insane if i was trapped alone, but I would probably still get really messed with someone there, no personal space.

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Well, when they took us to "the hole" I got put in a cell with a young black guy that they had sent to the hole from the same camp (FPC Seymour Johnson). I'd seen him around, but never talked to him. He was sent to the hole for refusing to go out on his assigned work detail (picking up sticks). Like I said, he was young, 20, and he was in prison for selling two dime rocks of crack (prior to this experience I had no idea what a "dime rock" was, but I learned that it is a piece of crack cocaine that it about the size of a piece of rock salt or a pencil eraser) to an undercover cop in D.C.

Anyway, this guy, we'll call him Sherman (close, but not his real name), was very talkative and energetic, as most 20 year old guys are. He was also hell bent on breaking rules and living life his way no matter what. He'd save fruit, and juice, and sugar from our food trays and get the orderlies to sneak him a trash bag, and he'd make booze out of it. He'd pour the juice and sugar into the bag and then squeeze the fruit in to it (citrus fruits) and then tear the fruit in to pieces and throw it in the bag. Then he would tie the bag up in the window so the sun would hit it. He'd let it sit for several days, adding sugar to it. It bubbled and foamed and looked and smelled like vomit. I refused to touch it and tried constantly to get him to pour it down the toilet, but he never would. He drank the stuff and said he got a buzz off of it. I dunno, it looked to me like something that had already been eaten once and I wasn't about to touch it. Sherman got to go back to Seymour, and I got a new "cellie". Although the week I left to come home Sherman returned to the hole. I heard that he'd gotten caught making his concoction back at Seymour Johnson.

The cellie that replaced Sherman we'll call Mark (again, close but not his real name. Mark was 30 years old, and he was half black, half Cherokee Indian. Mark was a graduate of a well known culinary school who had gotten a state drug charge, served his time, been released and started a new life, only to have the feds come back and nab him for the same thing he'd already done state time on. Thus, he was serving time for the same crime twice. Mark was a nice guy, but he was very particular, not as easy going as Sherman. For example, he wanted the lights out at 9pm every night so that he could go to sleep and get up at 5am to "work out". Let me tell you, "working out" in a 9ft.X15ft. room is not easy. He'd run in place, do crunches, sit-ups, whatever. He blasted his headphones as loud as he could get them, listening to rap constantly. He'd stand at the door and yell as loud as he could to tell some other inmate to "holla at me". I never understood that. These guys who were locked down 23 hours a day would yell back and forth at each other constantly asking one another what they were doing. I mean, we're all locked in exactly the same type cells with nothing and you can't figure out what the other guys are doing? I know, they're just talking to keep from loosing it, but yeesh, it got old. Anyway, Mark was in the hole for "getting a dirty" meaning he failed a drug test back at Seymour Johnson. Yes, there are drugs in prison, it's almost amusing how much. Anyway, I feel like I'm rambling again, so I'll end this by saying that Mark was still in the hole when I left to come home, although I know now that he was sent to a Low security facility in another state.

so i gotta ask.. after all the time you've been out etc, why did you choose neowin to be an active member at?

:)

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I visited Neowin long before I went to prison. I think I had an account too, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was. I never posted a lot, just read. I like Neowin, and when I came home I had a lot of free time to spend surfing the net. So, here I am. :)

Grand Master

Shane Pitman

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I've known Shane for a very long time (what is it, 17-18 years now?), and went and saw him a couple times while he was there (wish I could have gone more, but that was a killer drive).  From the visitor's perspective, the place looked more like a College campus.  BUT that was only the visitors center.  We'd get there at what, 8am or so and could stay until I think 3?  They had food machines & stuff there, and the food wasn't exactly terrible, but was most likely beter than what he got in the actual prison. 

We we going to see him about 2 months before he got out, but when I called his wife she told me he wasn't at that prison (was during the confinement time he had).

I hope he does get the job, I know him and his family could use it.  I know in our area IT jobs are scarce, so I hope for the best :).

I just wonder how many people who were involved with his trial & stuff can honestly say they have paid for each and every thing on their PC's, I'm betting very few indeed...

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More years that I care to count, since we were teenagers. Yeah, visitations at Seymour Johnson were Saturday and Sunday from 8am to 3pm. I usually got a visit from my wife and kids and my dad every other weekend. But when I got sent to the hole, I could only have visitors on Saturday, and only for an hour. It was also a longer drive, so they couldnt come as often. I didnt want my kids to see me in the state I was in while I was in the hole. It's not a clean environment and you're treated a lot harsher than you are at a camp. So, from August to October, I didnt get to see or talk to my kids.

As for the job, I really need this job. It's not easy for a family of 4 to live on a single income of 30k a year. Not with mortgage payments and everything.

Grand Master

Shane Pitman

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)
I am in awe.

You have a lot of respect from me.

One question:

How did you first find out that you were "busted", did you get a phone call, did the police come to your house?

I'm curious.

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I was at work and my phone rang. It was an FBI agent telling me that they were at my house with a warrant and that I needed to come let them in immediately or they'd let themselves in via the boot to the door method. So, I drove home to find 7 or 8 FBI and US Customs vehicles in my driveway and yard. I had to pull in the yard because they had my driveway filled. As soon as my car stopped they surrounded it and as soon as I opened the door to step out one of them grabbed me and pinned me against the car and frisked me. They were all wearing their combat gear, tactical vests with FBI and CUSTOMS in big letters across the back. You'd have thought I was Saddam Hussein or something. Anyway, I let them in the house, which as soon as I unlocked the door they pushed me inside and up against the wall and proceeded to move from room to room, guns drawn, "securing the site". They had an older guy with them, a civilian who said he was their "forensics expert". He helped them catalog all of my stuff. They pretty much kept me sitting in the living room while they packed up all my stuff, then gave me a receipt for it and left saying "we'll be in touch."

Edited by shanepitman
Grand Master

Shane Pitman

Posted
  • Author
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/me remembers the bbs days

Good luck Shane.

I hope you get this job.

I know how it is, I have a family of 6. :)

best wishes.  :punk:

/edit, Inuyasha rocks!

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You know I think you're the first person to pick up the origination of that line from Inu Yasha.

So shane, how'd you get caught? Was it a slipup in a release? Did they track your IP? or did someone snitch on you?

This thread is really interesting, though I know recalling these events must be difficult for you.

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The short version, I got comfortable and thus got lazy. The feds busted an ftp site that I used. I connected to it from home without using a shell or a proxy, and they had my IP. I knew better, I'd just done it for so long, it was old hat to me. Isn't that how it always goes though. You get comfortable and start taking shortcuts only to end up screwing yourself. And yes, some of it is hard to talk about, but it's probably therapeutic on some level as well. I haven't really talked about my experiences with anyone. I haven't even talked about my prison experiences to my family that much. It's hard.

Mentor

ZiGGA

Posted
Posted
I haven't even talked about my prison experiences to my family that much. It's hard.

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I am sure it is mate, I just hope things smooth out for you.. It's alot easier on the internet to speak about things and you probably know that yourself. Glad to see you're alright and you managed to live through your prison term. The stories you've told us about, I'd just like to say, total utter respect. Going in 'The Hole' for what exactly!? That's definitely not right!

Anyway... Maybe you did something wrong but I can think of people who have done worse and got a shorter sentance, but that's the way things go nowadays. Just good luck with the job and stick to War Craft in future. :laugh:

:cool: :D

Community Regular

lilgreg70

Posted
Posted

Shanepitman, You are a good fellow. Just by reading this thread I must say you are to nice of a man to be in any prison anywhere. Man I had to do 11 months 29 days of hell for shoplifting so I can relate to the jail talk a little. I got 5 months probation after I served 7 months and I must say it was time wasted, money wasted, and just plain out stupid. I don't think the punishment penalty for each individual crime is fairly made. For instance, I paid for the item I shoplifted which was a $600 flat panel,paid $1000 for a laywer,paid $570 court costs and I was still sentenced. I don't feel anyone who's a first time offender in any theft or piracy crime should be placed in an institution with avid thieves, killers, rapists, and jack-asses. Instead give them another chance and/or a fine. God bless you and pray for forgiveness because you did commit a crime and broke a commandment whether you want to accept it or not. You was treated unfairly and you are a smart guy who I feel didn't deserve the level of punishment as you got. Take that experience as a lesson, Good Luck. :yes:

Grand Master

+Warwagon MVC

Posted
  • MVC
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See This is what I never understand... why do prisons even have weight rooms? i'm like WTF.... shouldn't that be a privlige of being "on the outside"?? Why would you want the people you are spose to look after to work out and get all big and strong?? It's one of the stupidest things i've ever heard
Mentor

struct

Posted
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I don't see why people are almost admiring you for what you did, but nevertheless good luck with the job hunt. federal prison sounds like a harsh punishment for copyright infringment, but do you think you would have stopped if they had just gave you probation?

Veteran

shrike

Posted
Posted

Hi Shane..

Didn't really have a great understanding of the warez scene, although I do remember the Razor thing from a few games and the like. It's just how games went around. There wasn't anywhere to legally purchase them where I am.

When you talked about how you'd like to write a book, but you're not sure on how to get it going. You should just collect a bunch of questions, like the stuff on here.

Then answer the questions, and just blab on. I know it sounds stupid, but whenever you ramble, you actually get something across. The best stories are the unscripted ones.

Oh... and if you plan on doing this, don't tell me where you've got some of the writings stashed. I want to be able to buy the book, and be interrested. :p

Good luck on the job.

Oh, and are any of the Razor team still around? It'd be interresting to know if there are. And if you still keep in touch with them.

I'd assume not, because you'd be too scared to. I would too.

Thanks :)

Grand Master

Brodel

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Posted

Not really sure what to say, good luck doesnt seem like enough. your experiences are fascinating. I cant imagine some of the things you have described, like how you must have felt when you got that first phone call from the fbi or everything leading up to prison, let alone your time inside. It all seems so surreal, but it isnt, it has actually happened to you. You must be a strong person to get through all of that and it is admirable.

I hope you get the job, you deserve a lucky break.

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