Post by Jonel on Nov 14, 2003 10:13:32 GMT -5
Posted Friday, November 14 at 5:59 AM
Counterfeit CD bust includes two NE Georgia men
ATLANTA - Metro Atlanta police and federal agencies have broken up what they say is one of the largest illegal CD manufacturing rings in the country, and it allegedly included two Northeast Georgia men.
Garland Wayne Ethridge, 53, of Dacula and Carl Wisdom Smith, 50, of Buford are charged in the indictment.
Police believe the organization operated by a suspect identified as Khalid Satary, also known as D.J. Rock and Rocky, of Lawrenceville, has been operating since 1999.
According to U.S. Attorney Bill Duffy, Satary and four others were indicted and arrested late last month.
A federal grand jury already has returned a 15-count indictment charging the Satary, 31, and four others with conspiracy and pirating of copyrighted material with a gross retail market value to the recording industry of more than $50 million dollars.
Others charged in the indictment are Abedullah F. Al-Qudah, 31, of Yonkers, N.Y., Akram Abdelrahman Yacoub, 38, of Lawrenceville and Dalton Mark Howell, 48, of Lilburn, Ga.
Duffy says Satary had nine manufacturing plants and three stores around Atlanta and Macon.
Most of the CDs sold for between $5 and $15 and included artists Usher, Beastie Boys, Pink, Britney Spears, the Temptations, Michael Jackson, the Jackson 5 and Jennifer Lopez.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Counterfeit CD bust includes two NE Georgia men
ATLANTA - Metro Atlanta police and federal agencies have broken up what they say is one of the largest illegal CD manufacturing rings in the country, and it allegedly included two Northeast Georgia men.
Garland Wayne Ethridge, 53, of Dacula and Carl Wisdom Smith, 50, of Buford are charged in the indictment.
Police believe the organization operated by a suspect identified as Khalid Satary, also known as D.J. Rock and Rocky, of Lawrenceville, has been operating since 1999.
According to U.S. Attorney Bill Duffy, Satary and four others were indicted and arrested late last month.
A federal grand jury already has returned a 15-count indictment charging the Satary, 31, and four others with conspiracy and pirating of copyrighted material with a gross retail market value to the recording industry of more than $50 million dollars.
Others charged in the indictment are Abedullah F. Al-Qudah, 31, of Yonkers, N.Y., Akram Abdelrahman Yacoub, 38, of Lawrenceville and Dalton Mark Howell, 48, of Lilburn, Ga.
Duffy says Satary had nine manufacturing plants and three stores around Atlanta and Macon.
Most of the CDs sold for between $5 and $15 and included artists Usher, Beastie Boys, Pink, Britney Spears, the Temptations, Michael Jackson, the Jackson 5 and Jennifer Lopez.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
