Media

Deputies Seize Pirated Music Albums and Movies In Raid

Release Date: July 8, 2004

Detectives with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office ALERT Team continued their efforts yesterday to combat the sale and use of illegally duplicated movies and music albums. Investigators raided the “D J L Z Bass Productions Shoppe-Parties, Weddings and Etc.” store at 4608 Winchester.

The ALERT Team (Area Law Enforcement Retail Team) is a collaborative between the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, area retailers and the motion picture and music industry to investigate shoplifting, stolen merchandise, fraud and other crimes.

Investigators with the motion picture and music industry were with deputies during yesterday’s raid. Deputies confiscated 1534 bogus music CDs, 62 DVD movies and 31 music cassette tapes. The pirated items are valuated at $27,828. Charges are pending against the owners of the store.

“Counterfeit movies and music are growing problems in Memphis and Shelby County. It has a huge impact on the business community. The ALERT Team, through its partnership with retailers and other agencies, is making headway in exposing these illegal business operations” said Shelby County Sheriff Mark H. Luttrell, Jr.

In just the past week, deputies have confiscated thousands of bogus DVDs and CDs at four stores. Five people were arrested in those raids.

So far this year, 34 people have been arrested by the Sheriff’s Office ALERT Team. More than a quarter of a million dollars in stolen property has been recovered and returned to area stores. Pirated movies and CDs worth more than $100,000 have been confiscated by detectives.

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