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 Press Release
| NO. 2004-033
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Press Release # 033 Friday, March 26, 2004 |  | |
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New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly And Queens County District Attorney Richard Brown Announce 6 Arrests In The Takedown Of A Bootlegging Operation |
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New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly and
Queens County District Attorney Richard Brown today announced the arrest of 6
individuals who were part of a professional bootlegging organization capable of
generating more than $24,000 per day. The takedown was the result a single
search warrant in the residential neighborhood of Fresh Meadows. The Queens Robbery Squad originally received information from an investigator working for the music industry. This investigator tracks possible copyright infringements and his work led to this music bootlegging mill in Queens. Commissioner Kelly said: "These individuals employed a combination of technology and arrogance to carry out their crimes. On a quiet street, in a quiet section of Queens, this enterprise ran twenty-four hours a day. Now, thanks to the efforts of these investigators, we rooted out this organization's factory and brought its perpetrators to justice." District Attorney Brown said, "A counterfeiting mill with a high-volume duplicating capacity like this factory is capable each year of fleecing the recording industry of millions of dollars in revenues, cheating artists out of substantial sums in lost royalties and ripping off honest consumers who are forced to pay higher prices for their listening entertainment. In addition, it deprives the City and State of much needed tax revenues. My office will continue to work with the Police Department and recording industry to close down these illegal operations and prosecute those involved to the full extent of the law." As a result of the raid, officers seized approximately 15,000 bootleg CDs. More than 15 recording towers were set up in the house. This type of arrangement is capable of producing 32,000 CDs a day. In addition to the technological items, counterfeit pieces of Louis Vuitton luggage and handbags with a value of more than $200,000 were also seized. Those arrested were charged with trademark counterfeiting. The investigation is ongoing and more charges and arrests are expected. | |
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