Company Sentenced, Over Four Years Prison, Selling Pre — Employee at Multinational DVD Company Sentenced to Over Four Years Prison for Stealing, Selling Pre-Release Commercial DVDs for Blockbuster Films | United States Justice Department.
announcement Employee at Multinational DVD Company Sentenced to Over Four Years Prison for Stealing, Selling Pre-Release Commercial DVDs for Blockbuster Films Thursday, September 11, 2025 Share Facebook X LinkedIn Email For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs A court in Tennessee today sentenced a former employee of a DVD and Blu-ray manufacturing and distribution company used by major movie studios to 57 months in prison for stealing DVDs and Blu-rays of blockbuster movies from the company and selling them before their official scheduled release dates, as well as for being a convicted
felon in possession of a firearm. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. Hale, 38, of Memphis, worked for a multinational company that, among other things, manufactured and distributed DVDs and Blu-rays of movies. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s sentencing signals our commitment to protecting American innovation from pirates that would exploit others’ work for a quick profit, which, in this case, cost one copyright owner tens of millions of dollars.”“The copyright owner lost tens of millions of dollars as a result of Steven Hale stealing DVDs and Blu-rays of
blockbuster movies and selling them before their official scheduled release dates,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. The cases were consolidated for sentencing.The FBI is investigating the case.Senior Counsel Matthew A. From approximately February 2021 to March 2022, Hale stole hundreds of “pre-release” DVDs and Blu-rays, that is, discs being prepared for commercial distribution in the United States and not available for sale to the public. Hale has prior felony convictions for armed robbery and attempted robbery.In May 2025, in the DVD and Blu-ray case, Hale entered a guilty plea to criminal copyright infringement and