Major Pirated DVD Ring Busted

 
Los Angeles: On July 14, 2004, at about 9:00 a.m., the Los Angeles Police Department Organized Crime and Vice Division’s newly expanded Piracy Unit Detectives served a search warrant at 1117 South Burlington Avenue Unit #1 in Rampart Area. The detectives received information from the Motion Pictures Association of America that the location was being used as a major lab in manufacturing pirated DVD’s.
The detectives arrested 42 year-old Gonzalo Arista, 18 year-old Jaqueline Ramirez, 22 year-old Alejandro Silva, and 29 year-old Jorge Dominguez for 350 P.C. (Trademark Infringement) and they are being held on a $20,000 bail each.
During the search of location, the detectives recovered 5,680 burned DVD’s, 6,258 blank DVD’s, 6,190 inserts along with 2,634 DVD cases. While the detectives were conducting the investigation, suspect Dominguez arrived at the location. The detectives searched his vehicle and found 188 burned DVD’s and 91 blank DVD’s. The detectives also confiscated five DVD duplication towers and one DVD/CD recorder monitor.
A follow-up investigation to the Santee Alley where all the pirated DVD’s have been sold and additional 577 burned DVD’s were recovered.
Movie titles seized include Spiderman2, Dodgeball, The Notebook, The Terminal, White Chicks, Around the World in 80 Days, The Stepford Wives, and many others. The total street value of these DVD’s is $227,000.00.
This news release was prepared by Los Angeles Police Department’s Media Relations Section, 213-485-3586.