Richard Humphrey, Selling Pirated Movies, Ohio 2009
A North Ridgeville, Ohio man was sentenced to 29 months in prison for selling pirated copies of movies online.
Richard Humphrey, 22, operated the subscription-based website USAWAREZ.COM, which distributed hundreds of copyrighted movies, computer games, and software products without authorization from the copyright owners.
According to court documents, Humphrey's website offered paid subscription services for access to the pirated materials and solicited donations for his operation of the site.
FBI agents seized two personal computers and associated hardware from Humphrey's residence, as well as his computer server hosted at an internet service provider that was used to host and run the USAWAREZ website.
Humphrey pleaded guilty in Cleveland on September 21, 2009, to one count of criminal copyright infringement for selling pirated movies prior to their commercial release.
As part of his sentence, Humphrey was ordered to forfeit multiple computers and associated hardware used in the scheme and was sentenced to three years of supervised release following his prison term.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Tyler Newby and Tara Swaminatha of the Criminal Division's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Kern and Jay V. Prabhu.
Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Category: Cybercrime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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