Andre Yoskowitz
26 Apr 2012 21:26
Four members of the popular IMAGiNE scene release group are facing up to thirty years in prison for criminal copyright infringement.
The group was busted last year by ICE, and the four defendants, aged 27-57, now face jailtime. Although obviously unconfirmed, there have been rumors for months that the group was sold out by a rival scene release group with a grudge.
Jeramiah Perkins, 39, of Portsmouth, Va., Gregory Cherwonik, 53, of New York, Willie Lambert, 57, of Pennsylvania, and Sean Lovelady, 27, of California were each charged with a single count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement and two counts of criminal copyright infringement.
Perkins, Cherwonik and Lambert are also charged (via Freak) with two more counts of criminal copyright infringement while Perkins and Cherwonik are charged with a sixth count of criminal copyright infringement of a work being prepared for commercial distribution.
Each count brings up to five years in prison.
A few of the films listed as being reproduced and distributed by the group were "The Green Hornet," "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" and "Yogi Bear" although they released hundreds.