Answering the question "do people actually still counterfeit CDs?" with a resounding "absolutely," the Department of Justice announced on Friday that a member of a CD/DVD counterfeiting and distribution ring was sentenced to 38 months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $4,000 worth of fines stemming from his illegal activities as part of the 13-man operation. Four others members were previously sentenced, said the DoJ.
Ibrahim Diallo, who admitted to a court in 2009 that he sold counterfeit CDs and DVDs, joined his cohorts who each received varying sentences this past February. The Atlanta, GA native pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement and traffic in counterfeit goods and labels.
Lanny Breuer, an Assistant Attorney General with the Department of Justice's Criminal Division, said the case "exemplified" his organization's fight against piracy and IP theft.
"Mr. Diallo and his co-conspirators trafficked in counterfeit CDs and DVDs that would have been worth millions of dollars on the open market, to the detriment of artists, retailers, producers and others," he said in a statement. Based on the court's estimates, the combined legitimate price of the ring's illicit products topped $2 million.
Sally Quillian Yates, a U.S. Attorney familiar with the case, speculated that Diallo's ring "may have been the largest of its kind in the Southeastern United States."
"The victims in this case are the thousands of Americans who earn their livelihoods from the legitimate creation and performance of popular music and movies," she said.
After Diallo is released, he'll also serve three years of supervised release.
