Randolph Hobson Guthrie hasbeen sentenced to 45 months in prison and fined $15,000 by a Mississippi courtafter being convicted of jointly running an international piracy operation outof warehouses in Shanghai.
Guthrie and five others werearrested in July 2004 after Chinese and US investigators seized more than210,000 counterfeit DVDs. Guthrie was extradited to the US last October.
The federal judge on theSouthern District Court of Mississippi sentenced Guthrie to a maximum of 60months last Friday [March 24] for conspiracy to traffic in and importcounterfeit goods.
The sentence was reduced to45 months after the court took into account time already served in China forsimilar crimes. He agreed to forfeit $833,000 to the government as part of theplea bargain.
"We will not be stoppedby international borders in our vigorous pursuit of criminals who profit fromthe illegal sales of other people's property," MPAA chief Dan Glickmansaid.
"We are grateful forthe unprecedented joint effort between the US and Chinese law enforcement.Thanks to them, Randolph Guthrie was apprehended, and after today's sentencing,he will be behind bars for a long time where he belongs."
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