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Christopher Loring Walters, 31, of Laveen, Ariz., was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow to 27 months in federal prison. Walters pleaded guilty on February 24, 2011, to one count of conspiracy, one count of mail fraud, and one count of criminal copyright Infringement for his role in selling counterfeit brand-name software.
“Intellectual property crimes rob legitimate companies of revenue and deny customers quality, licensed products,” says Ann Birmingham Scheel, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona. “We appreciate the diligence of the Software & Information Industry Association for bringing this case to the attention of our law enforcement partners.”
“Software counterfeiters cost legitimate businesses billions in lost revenue,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge James L. Turgal, Jr. “Investigating intellectual property theft is a top priority of the FBI’s Cyber Program and we will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement to combat these types of crimes.”
Between November 2003 and February 2006, Walters and his co-defendant, Matthew Purse, deceived consumers by mass producing counterfeit copies of brand-name software, from companies such as Adobe, Symantec, and others, and selling them for a discounted price over the Internet while claiming to be authorized distributors. They sold the counterfeit software using various eBay merchant accounts and commercial websites such as SoftwareDiner.com. Walters often used an alias to set up merchant and bank accounts in order to conceal his involvement in the criminal activity. Purse was sentenced in January 2010 and served approximately 13 months in federal prison for his role in the conspiracy.
“Software piracy impacts consumers, hurts American businesses and damages our economy,” said Keith Kupferschmid, General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Intellectual Property Policy & Enforcement at the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA)—which launched the initial investigation into Walters’ piracy schemes. “For these reasons, SIIA leads the industry’s most aggressive anti-piracy campaign, identifying and shutting down sites that peddle illegal software. The Walters case is a prime example of SIIA’s commitment to fighting software piracy. And as Walters found out, software piracy is a serious crime that can land you in federal prison.”
The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and stemmed from a referral from the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA). The prosecution was handled by Peter Sexton and Jennifer Levinson, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-08-1359-PHX-GMS
RELEASE NUMBER: 2011-233(Walters)
Source: FBI - Phoenix
On June 28, 2011, Clear Channel Outdoor, in conjunction with ETS, a Texas based leader in asset tracking and location systems, and the FBI Phoenix Field Office’s Bank Robbery Task Force, unveiled digital billboards highlighting wanted bank robbers on BanditTrackerArizona.com. These digital billboards, provided by Clear Channel Outdoor as a public service, will serve to expand the public’s awareness of BanditTrackerArizona.com and the rewards associated with identifying bank robbery suspects.
WHERE:
Digital Billboard located south of Chase Field At 7th Street and Lincoln (parking lot) Phoenix, Arizona
Since 2007, Clear Channel Outdoor and the FBI have worked together to form a partnership that would take advantage of the new digital outdoor networks ability to react to local conditions quickly and inform the public of important community information.
Source: FBI - Phoenix Division
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. More than seven million Americans currently abuse prescription drugs, according to the 2009 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Each day, approximately, 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet.
In an effort to address this problem, DEA, in conjunction with state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the United States, conducted the first ever National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, September 25, 2010. The purpose of this National Take Back Day was to provide a venue for persons who wanted to dispose of unwanted and unused prescription drugs. This effort was a huge success in removing potentially dangerous prescription drugs, particularly controlled substances, from our nation’s medicine cabinets. There were approximately 3,000 state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the nation that participated in the event. All told, the American Public turned in more than 121 tons of pills on this first National Take Back Day.
Due to the overwhelming success of the first event, DEA has scheduled the second National Prescription Drug Take Back Day which will take place on Saturday, April 30, 2011, from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. This is a great opportunity for those who missed the first event or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of them.
The closest location to the Phoenix Central Neighborhood is:
DEVONSHIRE SENIOR CENTER
2802 EAST DEVONSHIRE AVENUE
PHOENIX AZ, 85016
Source: DEA
Dear community members,
Mortgage fraud scam artists know just what to say to give people false hope in saving their homes, especially consumers who are having trouble making their payments. When faced with the possibility of losing a home, anyone can fall prey. Don’t let yourself, or someone you know, be the next victim of a scam.
I am the United States Attorney for the District of Arizona; investigating and prosecuting mortgage fraud is a top priority for my office. My office is the chief federal law enforcement agency in Arizona and is responsible for prosecuting violations of federal law, including mortgage fraud and related fraud. As an example, we recently prosecuted an individual that received a 17-year prison sentence for leading a mortgage fraud scheme that exceeded $9 million dollars.
To raise awareness of these scams, my office is reaching out to the community and civic groups like yours to help us combat mortgage fraud. Our consumer awareness initiative gives groups the information needed to identify these scams and the resources to combat them. Enclosed you will find a brochure that highlights the information you need to get involved in stopping fraud in your neighborhood.
If you need assistance with a mortgage fraud matter. Please contact my Community Outreach Director at (602) 514-7629 or email him at manuel.tarango@usdoj.gov if you have any questions related to this effort.
For more information visit: http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/mortgagefraud.html.
Source:
Dennis K. Burke
United States Attorney for the District of Arizona
The city of Phoenix is the first municipality in the nation to launch a free Droid application that will allow residents with Droid phones to point, click and send photos of graffiti, over-height weeds, abandoned shopping carts and other blight violations to the city's Neighborhood Services Department.
Droid phone users may download the application for free from the Droid Market by searching for the keyword "myphoenix" and then clicking on My Phoenix. Once installed, users will simply open the application and follow the prompts to take a picture of the violation and then tap “submit.” Using built-in global positioning system technology, the application will attach a location to the picture and send the complaint to the Neighborhood Services Department. Residents also can choose an option to receive updates on the status of their request.
The My Phoenix Droid app follows the June launch of an iPhone app, which was enthusiastically received by residents and neighborhood groups, resulting in more than 400 downloads to date. Phoenix has received calls and e-mails from other government agencies around the nation interested in developing their own applications. “These applications allow us to provide Phoenix residents with convenient mobile options for reporting blight violations in the community to supplement our existing intake options.” said Chris Hallett Neighborhood Services Department Acting Director.
Phoenix residents may also continue to report blight to Neighborhood Services by e-mail at blight@phoenix.gov and by phone at 602-262-7844.
The Droid and iPhone applications were created at no cost to the city by Graffiti Protective Coatings, a graffiti cleanup company that serves government agencies in Arizona.
Neighborhood Services offers a wide range of programs to assist residents, including a graffiti removal program, a free tool-lending program, and classes and events designed to support neighborhood improvements. For more information, residents may visit phoenix.gov/cleanphx or call 602-534-4444, which is dedicated to answering residents’ questions about how to get involved.Source: City of Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department
Eric Timberman, the United States Marshal for the District of Puerto Rico, would like to announce that Janeth Valenzuela, wanted by the United States Marshals Service for Identity Theft and by the Phoenix, Arizona Police Department for Parental Abduction, was arrested by the U.S. Marshals led Puerto Rico Fugitive Task Force today.
Source: U.S. Marshals
iPhone Application
In June, the city of Phoenix launched a free iPhone app that allows residents to report blight violations to the Neighborhood Services Department (NSD) with a simple point, click and send. The iPhone’s built-in global positioning technology allows the user to attach an address to the picture.
iPhone users may download the myPhxAZ application for free from the iPhone App Store by searching for the keyword “myPhoenix” and selecting myPhxAz. Once installed, users will simply open the application and follow the prompts to take a picture of the violation and then tap “submit.”
The “myPhxAz” application was created at no charge to the city by Graffiti Protective Coatings, a graffiti cleanup company that serves Arizona city, county and state agencies.
NSD is receiving an average of 20 iPhone blight reports each week. In the future it hopes to roll out similar applications for residents who use Blackberries and other popular hand-held devices.
Phoenix has received calls and e-mails from other government agencies around the nation who are interested in developing their own iPhone app, ranging from Valley cities to counties and cities in Florida, Texas and California.
Phoenix residents without iPhones can continue to report blight by e-mail at blight@phoenix.gov and by phone at 602-262-7844.
Source: City of Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department
