RIAA Anti-Piracy Seizure Information
California | Georgia | Kentucky | Nebraska | New York | Pennsylvania
California
September 2008 – Officials in Los Angeles discovered a lot of cash and pirated CDs at a local residence. Investigators assisted members of the LAPD in executing a search warrant at a woman’s home. Officials were able to seize 3,000 CDs and $41,000 in cash. It was also determined that the criminal, who was on welfare, had over $700,000 in the bank. The warrant finally resulted in a felony arrest for the poor woman who was actually rich.
Georgia
September 2008 – Officials in Tifton, GA discovered there was nothing beauty-related in a local beauty supply shop. Members of Georgia’s Mid-South Narcotics Task Force were unable to locate any eyeliner or eye shadow when they executed a search warrant at a local beauty supply shop. They did, however, determine the alleged beauty supply business to be a large retailer of counterfeit products. Inside the store, officials were able to locate and seize 18,818 pirated CDRs and 8,525 pirated DVDRs.
Kentucky
September 2008 – Officials with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Dept. found a huge amount of pot while conducting a narcotics raid at a local residence. Inside the home, officials not only discovered a whopping 50 pounds of marijuana, but were also able to seize 130 illegal CDs.
Nebraska
September 5, 2008 – Investigators from the RIAA Central Region office worked with members of the Omaha PD to bust four separate locations. Officials executed a series of four search warrants on September 5, 2008. Assisted by investigators, officials were able to uncover two retail locations and two residences involved in selling counterfeit CDs and DVDs. Officials were able to locate and seize a total of 10,000 CDs and DVDs from the four locations. Most of the product seized was later identified as pressed Latin CDs.
New York
September 11, 2008 – Investigators and officials in Queens were again hard at work on September 11, 2008. To start the day, investigators worked alongside the Queens District Attorney’s Squad in executing their first of two search warrants. At the first location, investigators assisted in busting a large manufacturing operation. They helped seize a total of 128 burners, 3,400 pirated music CDRs, 5,711 MPAA movies, 32 boxes of 9,800 CDRs and 17 boxes containing 10,200 blank DVDRs. Without taking a second to revel in their large victorious raid, officials began executing their second search warrant of the day. Hopefully, investigators carpooled with the Queens District Attorney’s Squad, because they worked together once again to bust a distribution location. Thanks to their continued hard work, officials seized another 6,200 pirated music CDRs and 8,810 movies.
Pennsylvania
September 8, 2008 – A Philadelphia man who was held at gunpoint ended up calling 911 on his own illegal operation. The suspect claimed he called the police because of an intruder who held him at gunpoint. According to the suspect, when he returned to his home, he found an unknown man inside wearing a mask. After the masked man fled the criminal’s residence, the suspect requested someone to call 911. When members of the Philly Police arrived on the scene, there was no masked man to be found. Officials did, however, discover a large manufacturing operation with 22 burners, 36 CDs and 821 DVDs.
September 19, 2008 – A man who was first apprehended in November 2006 for running a manufacturing and distribution operation was caught for the second time. At the time of the first arrest, officials seized a total of 150 burners and over 30,000 pieces of counterfeit music and movies. The defendant apparently did not learn his lesson from the first arrest. While waiting for a pending trial scheduled for January 2008, the criminal was caught once again for the same exact crime. On September 19, 2008, RIAA Investigators and members of the Philly PD caught him running another large manufacturing and distribution operation. Investigators assisted the Philadelphia Police Detectives from Southwest Detectives in executing three separate search warrants. They located the manufacturing lab inside a residence and the distribution center was found inside a storage bin at a self storage facility. The recidivist was taken into custody along with five other individuals. Officials finally seized another 123 burners, 4,000 counterfeit music CDs and 15,000 counterfeit movie DVDs.