U.S. Attorney Kenneth A. Polite announced that DERRICK HOLLOWAY, age 32, of Marrero, was sentenced today after previously pleading guilty to two-count Bill of Information charging him with unauthorized recording of a motion picture and criminal infringement of a copyright.
U.S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt sentenced HOLLOWAY to served four years probation with the first eight months in home confinement. Additionally, HOLLOWAY was fined $1,000 and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $12,539.66 to the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America.
According to court documents, in 2014, HOLLOWAY used a digital camcorder to record approximately ten first-run motion pictures at the AMC Westbank Palace, located in Harvey, including When the Game Stands Tall and The Equalizer. HOLLOWAY subsequently duplicated and sold copies of some or all of the motion pictures. Additionally, HOLLOWAY manufactured and sold CDs and DVDs containing copyrighted musical works and motion pictures out from his business, Gold Teeth Kingz, located in Harvey. Specifically, during the execution of a search warrant at Gold Teeth Kingz in early January 2015, law enforcement authorities found and seized approximately 2,932 pirated DVDs containing copyrighted motion pictures, including When the Game Stands Tall and American Sniper, and 749 pirated CDs containing copyrighted musical works, including “Kingdom Come,” by Jay-Z and “Dangerously in Love,” by Beyoncé.
“Criminal counterfeiters are economic parasites who harm legitimate businesses that pay taxes, create jobs and support our national economy,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI New Orleans Raymond R. Parmer Jr. “Anyone who thinks counterfeiting is a victimless crime should realize the proceeds of black-market sales are routinely funneled up the chain to criminal organizations that use these ill-gotten proceeds to support a multitude of large-scale criminal activity.”
U.S. Attorney Polite praised the work of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg is in charge of the prosecution.