"It is hoped the sentence will deter further unlawful conduct
and protect the public," the judge in the case, Dean Pregerson,
said.
Johnny Ray Gasca was found guilty in 2005 of copyright
infringement. He was also convicted of using a fake social security
number and of fleeing his lawyer's custody while awaiting trial. He
represented himself in his trial, which lasted a week.
Gasca said that he did not record the films for profit, but the
prosecution case included diary excerpts in which Gasca wrote that
he earned $4,000 a week through his actions. The resulting copies
of films were sold in small shops or directly on the street, the
prosecution said.
Gasca was arrested three times for taking a camcorder into
cinemas. The third time was when he was caught on tape by a camera
designed to record the audience's reaction at a screening of the
film Anger Management. Gasca was ordered by the judge to attend
anger management classes on release.
"This sentence marks the conclusion of a lengthy investigation
and trial involving charges of copyright infringement, witness
intimidation and escape," Stephen Tidwell of the FBI told the
Hollywood Reporter.
