OHIO COUPLE PLEADS GUILTY TO OBSCENITY CHARGES

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Assistant Attorney General Christopher A. Wray of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Gregory A. White of the Northern District of Ohio, and Robin Dalgleish, Inspector in Charge, Pittsburgh Division, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, announced today that an Ohio couple, Ronald and Alina Urbassik, pled guilty to a seven count indictment that was returned against them in the Northern District of Ohio on April 13, 2004 for mailing and transporting obscene material.

The Urbassiks pled guilty to conspiring to engage in the business of selling or transferring obscene matter in violation of Title 18 USC Sections 371 and 1466; mailing obscene matter, in violation of Title 18 USC Sections 1461 and 2; and engaging in the business of selling or transferring obscene matter, in violation of Title 18 USC Section 1466. Since 1990, the defendants have operated a catalog business that offered for sale hundreds of videotapes and DVDs depicting obscene matter, including sexually explicit conduct involving sado-masochism, defecation, urination and bestiality. The defendants distributed these obscene matters using the United States mail.

“The Justice Department is committed to aggressively prosecuting the illegal proliferation of obscene materials through our society,” said Assistant Attorney General Christopher Wray.

Each of the counts carries a penalty of up to five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

The indictment also seeks forfeiture, pursuant to Title 18 USC Section 1467. The defendants will be required to forfeit property that constitutes or is derived from traceable proceeds of these offenses and/or property that was used to commit or promote the commission of such offenses. Sentencing is scheduled for November 16, 2004.

This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Kayla Bakshi of the Department of Justice Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael A. Sullivan and Christian H. Stickan of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio. The case was investigated by the Cleveland Office of the United States Postal Inspection Service.

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