Memphis Movie Pirate Sentenced: The Plot Twist No One Saw Coming!
Memphis man Steven Hale gets 57 months for selling digital copies of unreleased movies. He pirated DVDs and Blu-rays, including Spider-Man: No Way Home and Godzilla v. Kong, costing copyright owners millions. Hale, previously convicted for armed robbery, also pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a firearm.
Hot Take:
When you’re a DVD and Blu-ray manufacturer, the last thing you expect is for your employee to become the Robin Hood of Hollywood, except instead of giving to the poor, he just pocketed the cash! Steven R. Hale may have thought he was living the dream by selling pre-release blockbusters, but the only block he’s now going to see is made of concrete and steel. And let’s not forget the irony of a guy with a background in armed robbery being taken down by the FBI for his love affair with movies — proving once again that crime really doesn’t pay, especially when you’re trying to stream it on the down-low.
Key Points:
– Steven R. Hale sentenced to 57 months in prison for selling unreleased movies.
– Hale sold movies like “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Godzilla v. Kong” before their release.
– He agreed to return 1,160 DVDs and Blu-rays to his employer as compensation.
– Hale, with a history of armed robbery, also unlawfully possessed a firearm.
– The theft resulted in tens of millions in losses for copyright owners.