September 22, 2003

Lansing - The Major Case Team of the Michigan State Police has been recognized before, but this is a first – an Honorary Gold Record from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The team received the Honorary Gold Record in appreciation of their work on a case involving an individual who was illegally recording and selling music.

On Sept. 20, 2001, an investigation was initiated by the Major Case Team at the request of the RIAA into the sale of bootleg music at a store in East Lansing and Ann Arbor.

On Feb. 26, 2002, three search warrants were executed pursuant to the investigation; one for the store in East Lansing, one for the store in Ann Arbor and one at the owner’s residence in East Lansing. As a result of the search warrants, $38,347.64 in cash was seized from the residence and approximately $20,000 in recording equipment and thousands of bootleg CD’s, cassette tapes and Digital Audio Tapes (DATS) were seized from the businesses and the residence.

The Ingham County Prosecutors Office charged the owner of the stores with a four-count felony of Copying Audio/Video Recordings for Gain. However, through a plea agreement the charge was decreased to a two-count charge of Copying Audio/Video Recordings for Gain – Misdemeanor.

As part of the agreement, the seized recording equipment was donated to two school districts and the currency was turned over to the RIAA as restitution. All the recordings were destroyed.

The Michigan State Police Major Case Team is part of the Criminal Investigation Division in Lansing and is responsible for conducting and coordinating complex conspiratorial crimes. Such crimes include murder for hire, extortion, embezzlement, theft, corruption of public officials, prostitution, gambling, racketeering, homicide, violent and assault type crimes.