HIALEAH MAN SENTENCED FOR CRIMINAL COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

Marcos Daniel Jiménez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; James K. Belz, Inspector in Charge, Miami Division, United States Postal Inspection Service; and Hector M. Pesquera, Special Agent-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced today that on November 24, 2003, United States District Court Judge Cecilia M. Altonaga sentenced Armando Villa to thirty months’ imprisonment for having unlawfully reproduced and distributed copyrighted computer software for purposes of commercial advantage and private financial gain. The total retail value of the computer programs distributed by Villa was approximately $1,022,000.

Villa was caught after a Postal Inspector, acting undercover, corresponded by e-mail with Villa in response to spam sent by Villa, as well as classified advertisements placed by Villa on the Internet. The investigation began when customers of Villa complained that the software they bought was not “New and in the Box” as advertised on the Internet. Villa sold software via the Internet at prices ranging from approximately $30 to $50, when the average legitimate retail price for the software was approximately $639.

Mr. Jiménez commended the investigative efforts of the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hugo Black III of the Economic Crimes Section.