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NEW YORK---Three individuals have been arrested on federal charges for selling illegal, pirated computer software over the Web site newyork.craigslist.org (Craigslist).
The individuals arrested over the last three weeks are:
Riddi Bajracharya, aka "Rids," Zyed Chendoul, aka "Blid Yesser," and Ketdara Louangsiyotha, aka "Rob".
According to the complaint against Bajracharya, he offered multiple computer software items for sale at deeply discounted prices on advertisements posted on Craigslist. Undercover FBI agents and a cooperating witness then made three purchases of pirated computer software from January 2006 through May 2006 at various locations in Manhattan. In these purchases, Bajracharya sold 11 illegal software titles, including CW Adobe Photoshop, Macromedia Dreamweaver, and Windows XP, for approximately $235 even though these titles retail for over $5,000. In the course of selling these titles, Bajracharya noted that the CD-ROMs he sold contained a text file with the serial numbers for the programs and Bajracharya also e-mailed a list of around 40 software titles he had for sale at deeply discounted
prices, according to the charges.
According to the complaint against Chendoul (who was charged under the name Blid Yesser, which he had used during the investigation), Chendoul also offered computer software items for sale through advertisements posted on Craigslist. Undercover FBI agents made two purchases of pirated computer software from July through August 2006 in downtown Manhattan. Chendoul sold approximately 15 illegal software titles, including Adobe Creative Suite and Macromedia Studio, for approximately $90 even though these titles retail for over $2,500. In the course of selling these titles, Chendoul told the undercover FBI agent not to register the software with the manufacturer. Chendoul explained how to install the software using "cracked keys" that were provided in the software; "cracked" software has been stripped of its internal copyright protections.
It is further alleged that Chendoul told the agent that he worked with a group in Romania that "cracked" software and that he could get anything. After the agent asked for a list of the software titles he had for sale, Chendoul responded that he would e-mail it because he was not comfortable posting it on his Web site because it was "illegal." Chendoul subsequently e-mailed a list of over 150 software titles he had for sale at deeply discounted prices.
According to the complaint against Louangsiyotha (who was charged under the name Rob Lnu, which he had used during the investigation), Louangsiyotha also offered computer software items for sale through advertisements posted on Craigslist. An undercover FBI agent purchased two DVDs containing approximately 18 pirated computer software titles from Louangsiyotha in July 2006 near Union Square in Manhattan. Louangsiyotha sold these illegal software titles for approximately $45, even though these titles retail for over $9,900. In the course of selling these titles, Louansiyotha noted that activation of the software on the DVDs required serial numbers as well as key generators (programs that generate a serial or registration number, or key, often to provide unauthorized access to computer software). Louangsiyotha also allegedly commented that he was meeting other people near Union Square that day to sell software. Each of the complaints charge each defendant with one count of criminal copyright infringement for selling more than ten copyrighted software titles with a total retail value in excess of $5,000. If convicted of the charges, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest.
These charges are part of a multi-year, wide-ranging investigative effort by the Computer Crimes Squad of the FBI, in conjunction with the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, to combat the trafficking of pirated computer software in the New York area. This effort is also part of the Department of Justice's increased enforcement efforts in the intellectual property arena.
Bajracharya, 26, lives in Jersey City, NJ.
Louangsiyotha, 21, lives in Ossining. 10-23-06
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© 2006 North
Country Gazette
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