WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CBS13) — The manager of several stores in the Sacramento region has been arrested and charged with pirating tens of thousands of DVDs and music albums, authorities said.
Yan Akhumov allegedly bootlegged more than 87,000 American movies and songs worth a retail value of more than $1.3 million, according to the federal complaint.
Investigators accused Akhumov of selling the pirated goods through in West Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights and North Highlands, through stores called Musicland.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner said many media piracy suspects feel like bootlegging isn’t much of a risk and isn’t “that big a deal.”
“That’s a recipe to get yourself in trouble,” Wagner said. “Unfortunately for them, it’s a violation of federal law and it can lead to prison time.”
A worker at the Rancho Cordova location told CBS13 she didn’t know anything about the accusations, and said the stacks of DVDs still for sale on store shelves are Russian movies.
If convicted, Akhumov could be sentenced to federal prison as soon as next month.
8 Comments
Fine or prison time is stated on every movie or DVD I have seen. You’d be wise to read the fine print.
February 28, 2011 at 11:42 pm | | Report comment
Meanwhile, on an RT train, there is some young hustler trying to unload his computer copied discs of the very same thing. No one stops him.
March 1, 2011 at 12:20 am | | Report comment
Making or downloading copies is one thing, being stupid enough to actually try to sell them at a retail chain is just asking for it.
March 1, 2011 at 12:32 am | | Report comment
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I love when someone who gets busted bootlegging gets 25 years and someone who’s convicted of rape gets less, that’s true american justice, rape someone, not so bad, steal from a corporation, hang em by their toes.
March 1, 2011 at 1:06 pm | | Report comment
You are so right its not even funny
March 1, 2011 at 2:27 pm | | Report comment
It’s a federal offense to copy or redistribute those cd’s or dvd’s! I hope they catch a lot more of these people. Always trying to sell that mess at Walmart and other places. Lock these morons up.
June 8, 2011 at 12:29 am | | Report comment
Eh – boring. This effort could’ve been focused doing other things. Wasted tax dollars.
July 25, 2011 at 7:14 pm | | Report comment