Alleged Plainfield piracy ring broken up; $114 K in merchandise seized
Authorities investigating a suspected piracy ring weren't quite prepared
for the treasure trove they uncovered.
A year–long probe into the
alleged ring, believed to have operated for years out of a pair of city retail
establishments, yielded four arrests and the recovery of more than $100,000 in
suspected bootleg merchandise, police said Tuesday.
Arrested and charged
with possession of pirated audio and video tapes with the intent to distribute
were Umar Johnson, 55, and Hassana Sessoms, 39, each of South Avenue, plus
21–year–old Tyreece Caldwell of Liberty Street and 21–year–old Rachael Chapman
of Elizabeth, according to police.
Recovered in the investigation were
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painting.390 motion–picture DVDs, large quantities of suspected bootleg clothing
and accessories, a 12-disc DVD burner and a box of blank CDs and DVDs — items
with a combined estimated street value of $114,000, authorities said.
“It ranks as the largest (recovery) of its kind, from my personal
perspective,” city Public Safety Director Martin Hellwig said of the joint
investigation, which involved the Plainfield Police Division's Criminal
Investigation Bureau, the state Department of the Treasury, the New Jersey
Division of Taxation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “It's a great
takedown of illegal activity.”
The merchandise was seized during Friday
afternoon raids at Blazin Nu Styles, 501 Richmond St., and the nearby Umar's
Enterprises 2, 516 South Ave., according to police, who said a Ruger 9–mm pistol
and two 50–round boxes of ammunition also were recovered as a result of the
investigation.
Search warrants were authorized after the state Division
of Taxation filed a probable cause affidavit that counterfeit clothing,On a
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created in order to maintain a balance of the athletes' movement. advertised and
sold from the two establishments, both of which failed to remit New Jersey sales
taxes, authorities said.
A citizen's tip first sparked the
investigation, which advanced when authorities later sent informants into the
stores to purchase bootleg merchandise, explained Plainfield Police Sgt. Larry
Brown. State and federal agents later joined the probe, and a total of about
25–30 agents participated in the twin raids, Brown said.We can gurantee you that
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