Earlier this year, Sonic the Hedgehog co-creator Yuji Naka was arrested for insider trading, allegedly using his connections and early knowledge of in-development games to buy and sell stock for profit.

During a trial with the Tokyo District Court, Naka admitted to the charges of insider trading, which is illegal under Japan’s Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. He has been handed a 2.5 year prison sentence, suspended for 4 years, during which time he will be on probation. What this essentially means is that if he stays out of legal trouble for the probation period, he will not have to serve time in prison.

In addition to the suspended prison sentence, Naka has also been fined ¥190 million (1.25 Million USD) for both counts of the insider trading, one related to Dragon Quest Tact and the other for Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier. Both incidents involved publisher/developer Square Enix, where Naka was employed for a brief time after leaving SEGA.

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