Ypsilanti woman pleads guilty to selling more than $400,000 worth of pirated software
An Ypsilanti woman pleaded guilty today to selling more than $400,000 worth of counterfeit computer software online, federal officials said. Jacinda Jones, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of willful copyright infringement before U.S. District Judge David M. Lawson in Detroit, Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer and U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade said in a press release.
According to court documents, Jones earned more than $400,000, between July 2008 and January 2010 by selling more than 7,000 copies of pirated business software at discounted prices through the website www.cheapdl.com, according to press release.
The software, owned by companies including Microsoft, Adobe, Intuit and Symantec, had a retail value of more than $2 million, the department said. Jones’ activities were discovered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, who made several undercover purchases of the pirated business and utility software, the department said. At sentencing, scheduled for Aug. 15, Jones faces maximum penalties of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. During her guilty plea hearing, Jones also agreed to forfeit any illegal proceeds from her criminal activity and pay restitution to the victims. The Department of Justice said the investigation is an example of efforts by a Task Force on Intellectual Property created by Attorney General Eric Holder to combat what the department said is growing number of domestic and international intellectual property crimes.
Comments
RJA
Wed, Apr 20, 2011 : 10:36 p.m.
i'm confused myself, but very glad this person was caught and will pay her dues.
Lamont Cranston
Wed, Apr 20, 2011 : 10:21 p.m.
Amen, a thief is a thief.
grye
Wed, Apr 20, 2011 : 9:01 p.m.
Entreuprenurial innovation misdirected.
Matt Cooper
Wed, Apr 20, 2011 : 8:59 p.m.
While they may work for different departments, they can certainly investigate things outside of their department. And the power of arrest doesn't stop just because they may work for a department that might investigate a crime or suspected crime that their dept. typically would leave for another dept. They are law enforcement officers, they uphold the law regardless of which area they work for.
dading dont delete me bro
Wed, Apr 20, 2011 : 7:59 p.m.
ice = immigration CUSTOMS enforcement when goods are shipped over borders, these goods must clear customs. to clear customs, LOTS of documents are required.
Macabre Sunset
Wed, Apr 20, 2011 : 11:40 p.m.
Just one small form. But if you lie on that form, you're opening yourself up to a world of hurt. I have customers who ask me to claim their purchase is a gift, but that's a chance I'm never going to take.
nunya
Wed, Apr 20, 2011 : 7:35 p.m.
These were ICE agents operating as part of intellectual property task force? I get confused about the roles of some of these federal law enforcement agencies. I applaud the investigation however I do not understand how ICE got involved. Was she exporting the software?