Contact: Lieutenant Brian Casilli, Assistant Detective Commander, Telephone: (401) 444-1215
Colonel Steven G. O'Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, announces that at 10:30 a.m. on October 4, 2012, members of the Rhode Island State Police Intelligence Unit, assisted by members of the Woonsocket Police Department and Rhode Island Division of Taxation, arrested two Woonsocket convenience store owners for Piracy of Recordings without the Consent of Owner.
During the month of September 2012, members of the Intelligence Unit conducted an investigation into the illegal sale of pirated digital versatile discs (DVDs) at two convenience stores within the City of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. As a result of this investigation, on Thursday, October 4, 2012, members of the Rhode Island State Police Intelligence Unit, assisted by members of the Woonsocket Police Department and Rhode Island Division of Taxation, conducted court-authorized search warrants at the Quick Mart, located at 85 Mason Street, Woonsocket, Rhode Island and the CT Plus Mart, located at 11 Hamlet Avenue, Woonsocket, Rhode Island. During the execution of these search warrants, eight hundred seventy-two (872) pirated DVDs, four hundred forty-six (446) pirated audio compact discs and $38,967.00 in United States currency were seized.
As a result of this investigation, the owner of the CT Plus Mart, identified as Chaouki Khalil, age 45, of 11 Hamlet Avenue Woonsocket, Rhode Island was arrested and charged with Piracy of Recordings without the Consent of Owner. The owner of the Quick Mart, identified as Mazhar Sheikh, age 36, of 150 Highland Avenue Woonsocket, Rhode Island was arrested and charged with Piracy of Recordings without the Consent of Owner. Both defendants were arraigned at the Lincoln Woods Barracks and released on personal recognizance. The wholesale loss to the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America is estimated to be approximately twelve thousand dollars ($12,000).
Piracy of Recordings without Consent of the Owner is a felony, punishable by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) or by imprisonment for not more than six (6) years, or by both fine and imprisonment.