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10/01/03 . writer not known . Yahoo! News . USA  
 
Man who masterminded McDonald's game scam sentenced to more than three years in prison  
 
ACKSONVILLE, Florida - The man who masterminded a multimillion-dollar scheme to redeem stolen pieces from McDonald's games was sentenced Thursday to 37 months in prison.  

Jerome Jacobson, 59, admitted stealing high-value tickets from "Monopoly" and "Who Wants to be a Millionaire (news - web sites)" from 1989 to 2001.

Jacobson was director of security for Simon Marketing, which ran the games for the fast-food chain. Many of the pieces he stole were for $1 million prizes.

He faces up to $750,000 in fines and has been ordered to pay more than $13.4 million in restitution.

Jacobson said he was sorry that more than 200 people lost their jobs when McDonald's stopped doing its $500 million-a-year business with the marketing company.

"I am deeply ashamed of what I have done," Jacobson said.

Jacobson first stole a $25,000 piece in 1989 and gave it to his stepbrother. He sold others to family and friends, who recruited other people to join in.

Four other people have been convicted in the scam.  
 
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