NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
JANUARY 23, 2008

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -YOLANDA WILLIAMS, age 32, a resident of Jefferson Louisiana, was sentenced today by the Honorable Mary Ann Vial Lemmon to a five (5) year term of probation pursuant to her plea of guilty to Criminal Infringement of Copyrighted Materials, U. S. Attorney Jim Letten announced today.

According to the indictment and documents filed at the time of her plea of guilty, on March 12, 2007, Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Deputies were summoned to the defendant's residence in Jefferson, Louisiana to answer a domestic violence call. When the officers arrived, they entered her house. The defendant was not present. While inside, the officers observed in plain view in the living room, 7,645 music CDs and 3,180 DVD movies with handwritten titles. The officers also found a list which contained titles and prices as well as two computer towers which were capable of making up to 10 copies of a CD or DVD simultaneously.

The defendant was interviewed by members of the JPSO and admitted that she had reproduced the CDs and DVDs on the twin towers and sold the pirated items at various places. She indicated that this had occurred within the last 3-4 months. The pirated movies included Dreamgirls, Fearless, The Last King of Scotland and Ring Two. The copyrighted recordings included the works of R Kelly, Tupac Shakur and Jadakiss.

U. S. Attorney Letten said that his office considers these offenses serious in nature and will continue to prosecute them in the future. He stated that these offenses adversely impact not only the music and motion picture industry but legitimate area retail outlets as well as local New Orleans musicians.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office. The case was prosecuted by the Chief of the Organized Crime Strike Force Unit, Mark A. Miller.

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