Federal prosecutors say five men have been indicted on charges of participating in a computer piracy scheme that involved the large-scale illegal distribution of copyrighted software.
A federal grand jury in New Haven returned a three-count indictment Tuesday charging the five with conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement.
The indictment names Steven Fiatarone, also known as “kidzap,” 55, of Spring Hill, Fla.; Michael Uszakow, also known as “iced,” 43, of Oakdale, Minn.; William Parrott, also known as “niterangr,” 38, of Roanoke Rapids, N.C.; Dominic Tymorek, also known as “tcut,” 53, of Woodstock, Ga.; and Robert Hardick, also known as “tcut,” 57, of Getzville, N.Y.
The indictment accuses them of participating in an underground online community of people who use the Internet to engage in the large-scale, illegal distribution of copyrighted software.
In the so-called warez scene, “suppliers” are able to obtain access to copyrighted software, video games, DVD movies, and MP3 music files, often before those titles are available to the general public.
Other participants, known as “crackers,” then use their technical skills to circumvent or “crack” the digital copyright protections. Others, known as “couriers,” then distribute the pirated software to various file servers on the Internet for others to access, reproduce, and further distribute.
The indictment alleges tens of thousands of computer files were uploaded and downloaded, including the movie “Anger Management.”
The indictment charges Tymorek and Hardick with three counts of conspiracy, Fiatarone and Uszakow with two counts of conspiracy, and Parrot with one count of conspiracy. If convicted, the defendants face up to five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count.
A date for their arraignment has not yet been set.
