The owners and operators of two Northern Kentucky grocery markets, Greenup Market in Covington, Ky. and Friends Market in Newport, Ky., were indicted today for charges of copyright infringement.
Abdul Naser Al-Sweity, 35, of Newport, Ky. and Hicham Tibtani, 35, of Edgewood, Ky. operated the two grocery markets. The Indictment alleges that from December of 2004 until January of this year, Al-Sweity and Tibtani produced and sold counterfeit DVD’s.
It is also alleged that in December of 2007 Al-Sweity purchased a DVD/CD duplicator that was capable of duplicating up to 9 DVD’s at one time and Tibtani purchased a similar duplicator in February of 2005. Also in 2005, Al-Sweity and TIbtani purchased 10,000 blank DVD’s and 8,100 jewel cases to hold the DVD’s. During 2006, it is alleged that the two men purchases 9,550 blank DVD’s and 13,600 jewel cases.
The Indictment also alleges that on various occasions from October 2006 until January 2007, Al-Sweity and Tibtani sold around $900 DVD’s for about $2,400 in Grant, Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties.
If convicted, they face a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and supervised release for five years.
The investigation preceding the Indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force . The Indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant United States Attorney Edwin J. Walbourn, III.
Amul R. Thapar, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Tracey A. Reinhold, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, jointly made the announcement after a federal grand jury in Covington, returned the Indictment.
Al-Sweity and TIbtani’s appearances before the United States District Court have not yet been set by the court in Covington, Ky.
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