The Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) -- Metro Atlanta police and federal agencies have broken up what they say is one of the largest illegal CD manufacturing rings in the country.
Police believe the organization operated by a suspect identified as Khalid Satary, also known as “D-J Rock” and “Rocky,” of Lawrenceville, Ga., has been operating since 1999.
According to U.S. Attorney Bill Duffy, Satary and four others were indicted and arrested late last month.
A federal grand jury already has returned a 15-count indictment charging the 31-year-old Satary and four others with conspiracy and pirating of copyrighted material with a gross retail market value to the recording industry of more than $50 million dollars.
Also charged in the indictment: 34-year-old Abedullah F. Al-Qudah of Yonkers, N.Y.; 38-year-old Akram Abdelrahman Yacoub of Lawrenceville; 48-year-old Dalton Mark Howell of Lilburn, Ga.; 53-year-old Garland Wayne Ethridge of Dacula, Ga.; and 50-year-old Carl Wisdom Smith of Buford, Ga.
Duffy says Satary had nine manufacturing plants and three stores around Atlanta and Macon.
Most of the CDs sold for between $5 and $15 and included artists Usher, Beastie Boys, Pink, Britney Spears, the Temptations, Michael Jackson, the Jackson 5 and Jennifer Lopez.