A documented member of the Grape Street Crips has been arrested again for the sales of pirated music CDs. Some people just never learn. It seems the lure of easy money is just too hard to resist.
For 2013, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) estimated the comprehensive results of counterfeit and pirated goods seized @ $1.74 Billion.(www.ice.gov)
In 2013, we saw the number of gang members involved in counterfeiting and piracy grow and there appears to be no end in sight as long as there is a strong demand for counterfeit goods. Counterfeiting and piracy are not victimless crimes and do deserve to be prosecuted. The brand name companies are not the only victims in this illegal world. We all lose tax revenue and legitimate businesses lose sales to these criminals.
