California
November 21, 2006 - While executing
a search warrant for pirated merchandise, detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department along with RIAA
investigators took possession of evidence pertaining to the search
along with one arrest. However, as the search warrant continued another
man was noticed leaving the location. Investigators tracked him
down and made a traffic stop. During a search of the suspect’s vehicle,
investigators determined just why he was in such a hurry to leave.
After identifying pirated merchandise in his car, the suspect soon lead
detectives back to his residence and the storage facility where he was
manufacturing and selling pirated merchandise. The search warrant
ultimately led investigators to 72 burners, 706 CDRs, 244 music videos
and 12,511 DVDs.
November 11, 2006 - An anonymous complaint to the BadBeat hotline led to three arrests at
a swap meet in Downey, CA. Authorities were tipped off in September
that vendors were selling copied CDRs at the Warren High School
Swap Meet in Downey. After conducting an investigation with the
Downey Police Department, the RIAA assisted the PD with the raid on
November 11. No detention was handed out during the high school
sweep, instead the penalty was much stiffer with three arrests and seizure
of all 1,320 high quality pirated CDs.
November 2006 - While searching a residence in connection with a domestic violence/attempted homicide investigation,
Tulare police officers observed a DVD production lab in plain view in an upstairs bedroom.
After obtaining an additional separate search warrant for that specific bedroom, Police Officers
contacted the RIAA Western Regional Office and advised investigators that they had uncovered a
DVD production lab at their crime scene. Upon arrival at the house and subsequent inspection of
the lab, 950 counterfeit CDs were seized and 462 music video DVDs were also among the evidence
on DVDRs. Additionally 1,923 MPAA movies, a shrink wrap machine, one paper cutter and
thirty-six burners were seized.
October 26, 2006 - Twenty-seven burners were seized after police in Los Angeles, CA responded to a burglary call.
Three male suspects were still in the unit when the officers arrived. RIAA/MPAA investigators were called to the
scene after being advised that the police officers made an arrest of piracy suspects. During the investigation into
the unit deputies found thousands of pirated DVD movies and replicating equipment and associated supplies. After
confirming that both the CDRs and DVDRs were indeed pirated they were confiscated and the suspects were arrested
on felony piracy charges. Deputies recovered three DVD towers with a total of nine trays in each tower.
There were also approximately 4,600 DVD movie inserts, 830 empty DVD cases, 800 blank DVD-R discs on spindles
and several boxes of UPS, USPS and FedEx shipping cartoons. A total of 11,831 DVD movies in thin plastic
DVD cases with inserts depicting movies and a box of 177 music CDRs were also seized.
October 22, 2006 - In Glendora, California law enforcement officers and RIAA officials arrested two female suspects at different
booths at a swap meet in Glendora. 100 CDS, 318 CDRs, 34 music videos and 172
DVDs were seized along with the arrests.
Georgia
November 21, 2006 - Two video stores were searched in Forest Park, GA after search
warrants were given for evidence of the business being affiliated and operating a
burner lab. Undercover purchases and surveillance occurred in the month leading
up to the search warrant by RIAA Investigators and Clayton County PD. Upon execution
of the search warrant at the first store, 2,050 pirated Latin CDRs were seized
and the owner was arrested on the scene with an arrest warrant issued for the co-owner
and husband. At the second store Atlanta PD seized 5,410 Latin CDRs and 245 MPAA DVDRs,
the DVDRs were burned copies of movies that were in fact being rented out to the
video store members. Additionally a pistol and an AK-47 assault rifle were seized
from the store along with two towers containing eight burners. The owner was
charged and arrested at the scene.
November 14, 2006 - Jay-Z’s newest album Kingdom Come was due to be released to the world on November
20, 2006. However, six days prior to the release date Universal Music Group notified RIAA officials
that the album was leaked somehow and was now being reproduced without their consent
by a music store in Augusta, GA. The music store was raided by the local sheriff’s office
with two arrests being made on November 14. In total, 7,913 CDRs, 127 DVDRs, 2
burners and 1,050 pieces of blank media were seized. During the search, evidence was also
found establishing the fact that this business was manufacturing and distributing pre-released
copies of Jay-Z’s album. The owner of the business advised that he had
downloaded the album over a P2P server after locating it online.
Two months prior to the leak, the music store was also under investigation for suspicion of
selling pirate and counterfeit product. A local retailer had complained to the RIAA about several
businesses and two flea markets that were engaged in the sale of counterfeit or pirate
sound recordings and that it was impacting their legitimate business. After investigators determined
that the store that lodged the complaint was indeed selling legitimate product, investigators
moved on to check out the business in the surrounding area. Upon initially entering
the music store in September it was clear that this store was engaged in illegal activity,
2,000 plus pirate and counterfeit products were on display in plain view as well as computers
were on the scene. Investigators made several purchases for below market value, no
tax was assessed and receipts were not given.
November 11, 2006 - While performing a raid, Clayton County Sheriffs Deputies discovered that the suspect of a piracy
investigation was “cooking” veterinary grade anabolic steroids. The suspect was mixing it with other substances
such as polyethylene glycol to make the steroids injectable. Found on the scene nearby were numerous
preloaded syringes and other paraphernalia associated with steroid usage. The suspect’s residence was raided
after he made overt offers over the internet to sell movies that he had personally recorded in theaters. In addition to
the movies, he was offering for sale an extensive list of counterfeit DVDs that he was burning in the home along
with the illegal sound recordings. Undercover Sheriffs Deputies had traded several e-mails with the subject over the
previous weeks which eventually led to the initial raid where 5 CDR/DVD burners were seized along with one 20gig
hard disc camcorder, 125 CDRs, 245 blank DVDRs and 148 master recordings. The suspect was arrested on the
scene.
November 8, 2006 - Two kilos of cocaine with an approximate street value starting around $68,000 dollars were seized from a man who
was trying to use his business as a front for his drug dealing gig on the side. Now in terms of drug produced revenue
depending on how the kilos were broken down a “twenty” bag in Atlanta would be $20 and around 0.2 grams, so 1
gram would be around $100. At that rate, 2 kilos would yield upwards of $200K at the very least depending on how
many times the cocaine was pressed and mixed with other white substances such as baby laxatives, baby power or
powdered detergent depending on your region. The kilos were seized after RIAA Investigators working with Atlanta PD executed a search warrant
on Martin Luther King Blvd. Upon gaining entry into the business officers located one kilo of cocaine, and after completing
a thorough second search a second kilo was soon located. The search warrant was granted after receiving information
that the business was selling illicit unauthorized sound recordings. A total of 2,265 unauthorized recordings
displaying counterfeit trademarks were seized. Additionally, 1,026 master CDs and one firearm were seized. The suspect
was arrested for possession of cocaine, possession of a firearm and counterfeit trademark violation.
October 23, 2006 - Atlanta PD responded to an alarm call at a clothing store after an early morning break-in. When arriving
on the scene and inspecting the store the officers found
a false wall that led them to the backroom where counterfeit
merchandise was found. It appeared that there had been an
onsite burning lab, but the equipment was now missing. After
securing a search warrant and contacting RIAA officials, police
officers returned to the location with the warrant and discovered
the counterfeit merchandise was still there. The owner
was called onto the scene and arrested. In addition, marijuana
was recovered from within the store. Seized in this action were
7,865 counterfeit CDs and 2,849 counterfeit DVDs.
October 11, 2006 - Suspects working in two units in a warehouse in Clayton County, Georgia were discovered by SWAT team members along with the Atlanta PD, ATF, FBI, RIAA and members of the HIDTA taskforce who made a
dynamic entry utilizing flash bangs and a ram to audibly and visually impair the suspects. However, even the grand
entrance had no effect on some of the eight suspects, they knew they were about to go down with some serious
piracy charges and they were not about to go easily. In one of the units, five individuals attempted to hide under
the floor in a trap door that looked like it was created just for the purpose of evading the police. One additional suspect
took off running and gained roof access leading to a roof top chase before he was apprehended.
After months of undercover purchases and surveillance work, task force members moved in for the big event with
search warrants for two units in the warehouse complex. After gaining entry and rounding up the suspects, two of
whom were outside in nearby parked cars, a total of eight men were arrested. The men were then brought outside
to be questioned and photographed, none of whom wanted to cooperate with the police. In the first of the two units
searched over 16,916 CDRs, 3,311 DVDRs, one burner and several thousand pieces of artwork and raw material
(4,200 Blank CD cases, 4,000 CD trays, 2,800 Blank DVD cases, 9,000 plastic wrap sleeves, 5,000 labels/artwork)
were uncovered. An additional $1,800 dollars was uncovered within a brick inside one of the unit’s walls.
In the second of the two units 5,290 Urban CDRs, 3,200 MPAA DVDRs and 32 burners were located. Besides typical
music and movie pirated materials agents and officers also uncovered counterfeit Lacoste and Ralph Lauren
shirts, handbags, watches, football jerseys, pornographic movies, jeans and other types of apparel. Officers also
found handwritten notes on what needed to be re-burned to keep the stock full, and purchase orders that still had to
be shipped out to customers. Cocaine and a wad of cash were confiscated from a suspect found outside near his
car.
Illinois
November 12, 2006 -
After a month long investigation in Chicago, the pay off
came when the cameras started rolling and the reporters
began writing. When the RIAA teamed up with the Chicago
Police Department Financial Crimes Unit, Fugitive
Apprehension Section and First District on November 12,
five arrests were made along with over $200,000 worth of
bootlegged CDs and DVDs being seized. The recovery of
5,332 CDRs, 397 DVDRs and 173 music DVDRs brought
out local television stations along with the Chicago Sun
Times and Chicago Tribune. The evening news broadcast
covered the sweep conducted at the Canal Street Market
where the arrests and seizure were made.
November 11, 2006 - A major distributor’s right hand man was arrested at a burner lab on W. Marquette Road in
Chicago, and 72 burners were seized. The suspect was in charge of running all of the day to day operations for
what he describes as a distribution lab supplying Chicago suburbs such as Madison and Pulaski with 50-60% of their
counterfeit/pirate material. This arrest came after a month of surveillance and the arrest of one of the suspect’s
henchman at the Maywood Laundromat. When the suspect arrived at the parking lot of the Laundromat to deliver a
large quantity of illegal CDs and DVDs to the henchman he was arrested agreeing to cooperate with the police and
signed consent forms for the burner lab and the distribution site. Seized at the burner lab were; 72 burners, 3 copiers,
a scanner, one laminator, 2 paper cutters, 275 masters, 3,872 CDRs, 5,119 DVDRs, 1700 blank disks, 1,000 jewel
cases, and 1,250 inserts. Found at the distribution site; 1,259 DVDRs and 213 CDRs.
Maryland
October 13, 2006 - A police officer with Prince
George’s Country PD contacted a RIAA Washington,
DC investigator to speak about a suspect selling
product out of his car at a gas station in Chillum,
MD according to a reliable source. After investigating
the source’s claims and setting up shop
across the street from the gas station to observe,
the investigator witnessed transactions from the
trunk of the vehicle. The officer promptly came
down to confront the suspect with the investigator
and upon approaching they saw counterfeit items
in plain view in the trunk of the suspect’s car. The
suspect was arrested, he refused to cooperate or
speak to investigators. Removed from his person
was a pair of brass knuckles and a knife, 535 counterfeit
CDs and 210 counterfeit DVDs were also
seized.
October 11, 2006 - Information was received about subjects selling counterfeit music in the parking lot of a town
center in Bowie, MD. One of the subjects was a security guard who always packed a gun. After setting up surveillance
and observing the vehicle engaging in several transactions involving suspected counterfeit items, nearby
beat officers were contacted and they approached the subjects. After being confronted, the vehicle was searched
revealing a Ruger 9mm handgun and a small amount of marijuana in addition to 383 counterfeit CDs and 276
counterfeit DVDs. The driver was placed under arrest and the passenger was released at the scene.
October 10, 2006 - A source informed RIAA central region investigators about a subject who was selling counterfeits
from his home and was planning on selling more
that evening. Investigators were also warned to watch
out for the gun he always carries for protection. Upon
setting up surveillance with the Prince George’s County
PD Violent Crime Task Force, the investigators observed
the suspect loading boxes into his vehicle before
heading out for his “evening on the town”. The officers
were informed that the vehicle was on the move and
shortly thereafter a traffic stop was initiated where they
saw the product inside the vehicle and arrested the subject.
A Taurus 380 cal. handgun was recovered as well
as 312 counterfeit CDs and 157 counterfeit DVDs.
New York
November 16, 2006 - Four suspects were arrested after the NYPD OCID
Unit seized 19,317 MPAA DVDRs at the distribution site for the
burner lab located and previously raided in Brooklyn. Additionally,
9,200 counterfeit CDRs and 1,600 music DVDRs were seized from
this residence that was posing as an illegal distributor of sound recordings.
Over the course of October, RIAA investigators made several
undercover purchases using funds provided by the OCID unit.
November 10, 2006 - A basement apartment on Lenox Ave, in
New York City was searched after a search warrant was granted following
several purchases. The RIAA NY
field office assisted the NYPD 30th Pct. in
the execution and turned up 14 burners,
200 counterfeit CDRs, 1,600 pirate CDRs
and 4,005 MPAA DVDRs. Additionally three
boxes of raw materials containing inserts,
blanks and jewel cases were seized. Two
suspects who were in the home were arrested
and charges are currently pending.
November 6, 2006 - While conducting a surveillance of a suspect vehicle in October, it
was determined that a burner lab was present at an apartment in
Brooklyn, NY. Investigators observed a male exiting the vehicle and
entering the basement of the location and returning in a short while
carrying six large woven plastic bags containing what appeared to
be cases of CDRs and DVDRs. These bags were then loaded in
the vehicle and brought to another apartment on Broadway in NYC
where the product was in turn brought inside. Back at the first apartment
on November 6, a search warrant was conducted with seizure
of 5 towers yielding 35 burners, 3,000 MPAA/DVDRs and 4
boxes of raw materials.
October 24, 2006 - The RIAA New York Office assisted
members of NYPD’s 67th precinct in executing a
search warrant in Brooklyn, N.Y. The search warrant
was granted after several undercover CDs were purchased
from the location in the days prior to the 24th.
After entering the location 22 CD/DVD burners, 300
counterfeit CDRs, 1800 pirated CDRs and 1,100 music
DVDRs were seized. The two individuals who were in
the unit were arrested on felony charges.
October 12, 2006 - A search warrant at a burner lab in Brooklyn, NY
turned up 72 burners when the RIAA
New York office investigators assisted the NYPD’s
Trademark Infringement Unit in the execution. An
additional 3,300 music CDRs, 502 movie DVDRs and
a 2002 Nissan were seized after several months of
surveillance and undercover purchases were made.
North Carolina
October 10, 2006 - While conducting a plain view seizure with law enforcement agents
in Sanford, North Carolina, RIAA field investigators from the Southern
Region located a suspicious looking vending machine in one of
the stores. Upon closer inspection of the machine it appeared that
the “prizes” inside were unauthorized sound recordings (CDRs).
The game was based upon the premise of randomly winning a
prize after inserting money into the coin slot. After locating a telephone
number on the machine and finding the name of the business
associated more investigation ensued. On October 10, just a
few months later the owner of the machine submitted to a voluntary
surrender agreement were he was adamant about turning over all
illicit products, 875 Latin genre pirated CDRs in all.
Pennsylvania
November 2, 2006 - The Philadelphia Police; West Detective Division and uniformed
officers from the 18th police district set off in the morning hours to raid four locations.
While the raids all occurred on the same day, these were in fact two separate operations with burner lab/distribution combos being run by two different
suspects. As a result, 291 burners were seized, making
this event the most burners seized at one time. Just topping the old record held in
Atlanta for 281 burners.
During the first operation at a basement apartment on Pine Street a distribution
center was raided after police forced the door open with a sledge hammer. A total
of 15, 660 CDRs and 17,000 MPAA DVDRs were seized. Over at the burner lab
on Berbero Street police arrested the suspect in the driveway behind the home
while he was operating his delivery vehicle. At this lab 213 burners were seized
along with 10 computers, 56 empty raw material boxes, 9,800 jewel cases, 120
mast CDs, 1,800 blank CDRs, 6,000 insert cards and an additional 2,473 CDRs.
The second operation also started at another basement apartment location posing as
a distribution location just ten homes away from the first on Pine Street. The suspect
in this location was arrested just outside of the distribution center while also
operating a delivery van after investigators on surveillance posts notified the police
of the suspect’s whereabouts and he was apprehended shortly thereafter. At
this distribution location 15,500 music CDRs and 17,000 MPAA DVDRs were
seized. At the corresponding burner lab (which was empty at the time of entry) 78
burners, 2 computers, 1 VCR, 1 printer, 1 scanner, 760 master CDs, 800 blank
CDRs, 6,000 blank DVDrs, 11,525 insert cards, 1,500 jewel cases and an additional
150 counterfeit CDRs and 1,050 music DVDRs were seized.
Arrest warrants were issued for additional targets involved with both of these operations
who were not present when the raids took place. With such an astounding
number of product and burning lab equipment off the streets it definitely was a
jolly day for the RIAA.