MEMPHIS, TN — Steven R. Hale, 38, a former employee of a major DVD and Blu-ray manufacturing company, was sentenced today to 57 months in federal prison for his role in the theft and sale of pre-release commercial DVDs.
Hale stole hundreds of discs that were being prepared for public distribution, including popular films like ‘F9: The Fast Saga’ and ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home.’ One of the stolen copies was digitally distributed over the internet, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in losses for the copyright owner.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti emphasized the Justice Department’s commitment to protecting intellectual property, stating that Hale profited from the creativity and work of others. ‘Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that exploiting intellectual property for profit is a serious crime,’ Galeotti said.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico highlighted the severity of the offense, noting that stealing intellectual property has a significant financial impact on copyright owners. ‘This sentence should serve as a strong deterrent against willful theft of intellectual property,’ Carrico added.
Court documents and statements revealed that Hale sold the stolen DVDs through e-commerce sites and possessed a firearm in violation of his prior convictions for armed robbery. He pleaded guilty to criminal copyright infringement and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, agreeing to make full restitution to the victims.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raney Irwin. The FBI is continuing to investigate the thefts.
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Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Cybercrime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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