Another creative from the gaming industry is headed to prison. Today, it was confirmed that Peter Connelly — composer known for his work on Tomb Raider and Dead Island 2 — will serve jail time after committing fraud during the pandemic.
Authorities revealed that Connelly took out multiple loans and made suspicious financial moves through his company, Peter Connelly Limited. He allegedly abused a government recovery loan program intended to help individuals and businesses through the COVID-19 crisis.
Following an official investigation, UK authorities concluded that the composer engaged in fraudulent activity. He applied for a government-backed loan worth approximately $29,500 USD, and then went on to secure an additional $50,000 USD loan from a bank — even though businesses were only allowed one recovery loan under the scheme.
The situation escalated when investigators discovered that Connelly had deliberately inflated the financial statements of his company. He reported a turnover of $201,500 USD, when in reality, it should’ve been around $77,900 USD. This false claim triggered a deeper probe into his finances.
As a result, Peter Connelly has now been sentenced to 16 months in prison and will be barred from serving as a company director for 6 years. David Snasdell, the lead investigator on the case, emphasized that Connelly had clearly violated the rules of the COVID-19 Recovery Loan Scheme.
“Peter Connelly flagrantly disregarded the rules of the Recovery Loan Scheme, which was designed to support small and medium-sized businesses during the pandemic. He not only secured two loans when only one was allowed, but he also deliberately inflated his company’s turnover to access more funds than he was entitled to,” said Snasdell.
Connelly, for his part, claimed that he initially took out personal loans and even sold his car to finance a project that involved reimagining the Tomb Raider soundtrack. However, the venture failed, and by 2021, his company began selling off assets to pay its debts — ultimately leading to liquidation.
Who is Peter Connelly?
Peter Connelly is a British composer and sound designer best known for his work on the Tomb Raider series. He’s also contributed music to major titles like Watch_Dogs, The Crew, and South Park: The Fractured But Whole. His most recent project was Dead Island 2, which received positive feedback upon release.
He began his career at Core Design as a sound designer on Tomb Raider III, later composing for The Last Revelation, Chronicles, and The Angel of Darkness. Thanks to his contributions, he’s regarded as one of the most influential composers in the Tomb Raider franchise — with a legacy that helped shape the sound of adventure games for years to come.
Other Game Developers Who Have Faced Legal Trouble
Connelly is not the only creative in the gaming industry to face jail time. One of the most high-profile cases was Yuji Naka, co-creator of Sonic the Hedgehog, who was arrested in 2022 for insider trading involving unreleased Square Enix projects.
Another example is Shelley M. Day, a former producer at EA and LucasArts, and co-founder of Humongous Entertainment. She was sentenced to 30 months in prison after falsifying bank documents to secure a loan used to purchase a home.