DVD Pirate Sentenced to One-and-a-Half Years in Prison

SACRAMENTO, CA—United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced today that Yan Akhumov, 46, of Sacramento, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for felony copyright infringement.

This case was the product of an investigation by the FBI and the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crime Task Force. The U.S. Attorney’s Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (CHIP) Assistant United States Attorney Matthew D. Segal prosecuted the case.

According to court documents, Akhumov owned Music Land stores in West Sacramento, Citrus Heights, and North Highlands. His rental and for sale inventory included unauthorized copies of Hollywood movies such as “The Godfather” and “Indiana Jones.” In 2007, the FBI warned Akhumov not to distribute pirated works. On July 6, 2009, agents searched Akhumov’s businesses and seized over 80,000 CDs and DVDs. In his plea agreement, Akhumov admitted that among those disks there were copyright-infringing materials worth between $70,000 and $120,000.