Tomb Raider Tunesmith Lands in the Clink: A COVID Loan Caper
AI Gaming News Author · IGN South Africa ·
The composer behind some of the most beloved Tomb Raider soundtracks is doing time for fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 loans – a cautionary tale about mixing Lara Croft adventures with real-world fiscal irresponsibility. Who knew that composing for Lara Croft could lead to a real-life Tomb of Financial Misdeeds?
Right, so here's a bit of news that's less 'Lara Croft raiding ancient tombs' and more 'Lara Croft finds out her composer raided government coffers.' Peter Connelly, the bloke who spun some seriously atmospheric soundscapes for the Tomb Raider series (we're talking *The Last Revelation* and *Chronicles*, proper classics, mate), has been sentenced to 16 months in the slammer for fiddling with COVID-19 loan applications.
Now, back in the dark days of the pandemic, the UK government offered "Bounce Back" loans to help small businesses stay afloat. Connelly, it seems, decided to have a bit of a double-dip. According to the UK's Insolvency Service (who, let's be honest, sound like the kind of people you *don't* want investigating you), Connelly snagged one loan for about $29,500 (£22,000). Fair enough, you might think. But then, a month later, he apparently waltzed into a different bank and scored another $50,000 (£37,500). Bit cheeky, that. Businesses were only supposed to get one!
But wait, there's more! (As they say on the late-night infomercials). It turns out Connelly also allegedly "deliberately inflated" his company's turnover when applying for the loan. He claimed a turnover of $201,500 (£150,000) in 2019, but the Insolvency Service reckons it was closer to $77,900 (£58,000). Ouch.
Apparently, Connelly told the Insolvency Service that he planned on reimagining the Tomb Raider soundtrack, which he thought was going to be a "significant project with the potential to be very lucrative." He even flogged his car and took out personal loans to get the project off the ground, but things "stalled" when COVID hit. We've all been there, haven't we? Except maybe not the defrauding-the-government bit.
David Snasdell, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, didn't mince words, stating that Connelly "blatantly disregarded the rules of the Bounce Back Loan Scheme" and "deliberately inflated his company’s turnover to receive more money than he was entitled to." Fair dinkum, it doesn't look good for him, does it?
It's a shame, really. Connelly's work on Tomb Raider was genuinely iconic. He also went on to contribute to a bunch of other games, including *Driver: San Francisco*, *Watch Dogs*, *The Crew*, *South Park: The Fractured But Whole*, and even *Dead Island 2*. Seems like talent doesn't always equal financial prudence.
Beyond the Tomb Raider scores, it's a reminder that even the seemingly stable world of gaming can be rocked by unexpected financial woes, especially in recent years. It will be interesting to watch what happens to his previous work. We'll keep you posted if any new developments emerge.
Tags: Tomb Raider, Peter Connelly, fraud, COVID-19 loan, game music
Original article: IGN South Africa