JURY CONVICTS DEFENDANT IN OPERATION CROOKED HIGHWAY

Nashville, TN - December 11, 2006 - U.S. Attorney Craig S. Morford and My Harrison, FBI Special Agent in Charge, announced that Robert Thomas of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Jared Bowser of Jacksonville, Florida were adjudicated guilty of federal criminal copyright violations on December 8, 2006. The men, both in their early twenties, were charged with violating federal law by obtaining digital copies of recorded music by Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, which had not yet been released for sale to the public and which they were not authorized to possess, and making copies of the music available on the Internet. The copyright to this music was owned by a division of Universal Music Group called Lost Highway Records, which is located in Nashville, Tennessee. Neither man had any prior criminal record, both had been fully cooperative with investigators when confronted after the illegal Internet activity was detected and neither financially profited from their criminal conduct. On that basis, both men asked District Judge Aleta Trauger to impose a short probationary sentence. Judge Trauger agreed that a two year term of probation was appropriate, but added two months of house arrest to the sentence. Judge Trauger noted that music piracy is a serious problem and that even first offenders needed to feel “some sting” as a consequence of such criminal conduct. The men faced a maximum of one year in prison.

“The unauthorized buying, selling and trading of digital copies of music that is protected by federal copyright is stealing, pure and simple,” said U.S. Attorney Craig Morford. “These crimes occupy a high priority with the Department of Justice, and we will continue to investigate and prosecute appropriate cases in federal court.”

The case was investigated by the computer crimes section of the Nashville office of the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hilliard Hester and Byron Jones, who are assigned to the Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Crimes section of the Nashville office of the U.S. Attorney.

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