Thirteen Alleged Major Bootleggers Indicted
800,000 Alleged Bootleg CDs Confiscated
in Largest Criminal Bootleg Investigation
Washington
Charles R. Wilson, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida,
and Joseph Henderson, Resident Agent in Charge, United States Customs Service,
Orlando, Florida, announced today that a federal grand jury sitting in Orlando
has returned a 40-count indictment charging 13 individuals with conspiracy and
substantive charges involving the manufacturing, importing, and distributing
of unauthorized or "bootleg" compact music discs. The Indictment alleges that
the defendants, on various dates, manufactured, smuggled, and/or distributed
bootleg compact music discs from artists including the Grateful Dead, Stevie
Ray Vaughan, the Dave Matthews Band, Tori Amos and Van Halen.
Charged in the Indictment are:
- Jorge Garzon, 29, of Orlando, Florida
- Hans Heimann, 38, of Wuppertal, Germany
- Roger Moenks, 34, of Goch, Germany
- Charles Leidelmeyer, 40, of Gravenhaag, the Netherlands
- Mark Purseglove, 25, of London, England
- Simone Romani, 34, of Milan, Italy
- Scott Johnson, 32, of Long Island, New York
- Simon Carne, 34, of West Palm Beach, Florida
- Alfonso Degaetano, 34, of West Palm Beach, Florida
- Ali Moghadam, 30, of Las Vegas, Nevada
- Georgio Serra, 32, of the Repulic of San Marino, Italy
- Caroline Albanese, 29, of the Republic of San Marino, Italy
- Robert Pettersen, 41, of Los Angeles, California
The defendants face the following maximum terms of imprisonment: Garzon, 5 years; Heimann, 15 years; Moenks, 20 years; Leidelmeyer, 15 years; Purseglove, 20 years; Romani, 25 years; Johnson, 25 years; Simon, 10 years; Degaetano, 10 years; Moghadam, 5 years; Serra, 35 years; Albanese, 35 years; and Pettersen, 10 years.
Frank Creighton, RIAA Vice President, Associate Director of Anti-Piracy, states, "this operation marks the largest criminal bootleg investigation of its kind - both in terms of the number of individuals indicted and the transnational scope of their operations, as well as the sheer volume of bootlegs seized (80% of 1996's total bootleg confiscations). Without a doubt, the removal of so many major players will substantively and severely disrupt the global bootleg industry. This incredibly successful blow to bootleggers was only possible with the exceptional efforts of Charles Wilson, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida and Assistant U.S. Attorney A.B. Phillips, and at Customs, Regional Agent in Charge Joseph Henderson and Special Agent T.J. Nelson."
The charges are the result of a year-long undercover operation conducted by agents of the United States Customs Service, with the assistance of the Recording Industry Association of America, of international bootlegging in compact music discs and the smuggling of these items into the United States. A spokesman for the Recording Industry Association of America has indicated that bootlegging of musical recordings accounts for an estimated loss of $300,000,000.00 per year to the music industry. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney A.B. Phillips of the Orlando Division of the United States Attorney's office.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal law and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
About the RIAA
The RIAA represents companies that create, manufacture or distribute more than 90% of the legitimate sound recordings sold in the United States. The RIAA's Anti-Piracy Unit investigates the illegal production and distribution of pirated sound recordings, which cost the U.S. music industry hundreds of millions of dollars a year domestically. Consumers and retailers can report suspected music piracy to the RIAA by dialing a toll-free hotline, 1-800-BAD-BEAT, via the Web at http://www.riaa.com/ or by sending e-mail to badbeat[at]riaa.com
Contacts:
U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney - Middle District of Florida
Brian Phillips - Assistant United States Attorney
for the Middle District of Florida
(407) 648-7539
RIAA contacts:
Alexandra Walsh - (202) 857-9264
awalsh[at]riaa.com
Frank Creighton, (202) 775-0101
fcreighton[at]riaa.com