Modesto Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking in Counterfeit Media
| U.S. Attorney’s Office January 17, 2012 |
FRESNO, CA—United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced that Roman Santana, 29, of Modesto, pleaded guilty today to trafficking in counterfeit labels and counterfeit documentation and packaging, in connection with his distribution of counterfeit music CDs.
According to the plea agreement, from May 2011 to July 25, 2011, Santana sold counterfeit music CDs, with accompanying counterfeit labels, documentation and packaging, to the public at the 7th Street flea market in Modesto. On July 25, 2011, approximately 2,385 counterfeit music CDs were seized from Santana’s possession.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Henry Z. Carbajal III is prosecuting the case.
Santana is scheduled to be sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Anthony W. Ishii on April 2, 2012. The maximum statutory penalty for trafficking in counterfeit labels and counterfeit documentation and packaging is five years in prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.