We missed this tidbit, but boingboing, via selfaudit via Reuters, points us in the direction of news of a federal raid earlier this month on three Pandora's Cube stores in the suburbs where the stores were selling -- in plain view mind you -- Xbox videogame consoles that had been modified to use pirated software. DCist can safely say that this is a stupid move, not only to jerry-rig an Xbox to play unauthorized software, but to sell it out in the open.

Reuters reports that the raids were planned by the Justice Department's computer crimes unit, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Maryland's U.S. Attorney's Office.

We have to say we've never been to Pandora's Cube, but here is a brief write-up found on urbangeek.net of the College Park store.

The owner is a fat, obnoxious, foul Indian man with a taste for rude comments (especially towards us darling girls who like renting tentacle porn). They rent out fansubs but do not sell them, which strikes me as ridiculous. But it's a convenient walk from the dorms, and only $2 for a one night rental, so hell, it's better than nothing for a college town in Bumblefuck, Maryland.