Federal Employee Sentenced For Selling Bootleg DVD's During Work Hours

COLUMBUS - Darrell Lee Lynch, 65, of Columbus pleaded guilty in U.S. District court to one misdemeanor count of copyright infringement, admitting that he sold pirated DVD movies during work hours at the Defense Logistics Agency in Columbus where he was employed.
 
Carter M. Stewart, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio and Kathy Roberts, Assistant Deputy Inspector General for Investigations, Defense Logistics Agency Office of the Inspector General, announced the plea entered and sentence handed down today by U.S. District Judge Gregory L. Frost.
 
According to court documents, the investigation began following complaints that he was frequently selling pirated DVD movies to fellow employees during work hours. Investigators searched his work space in April, 2013 and found 188 unauthorized copies of recent full-length movies. Investigators also found a black binder containing a list of the movies he had for sale and a brief description of each movie.
 
Judge Frost sentenced Lynch to serve two years of probation and pay restitution of $1,573 to the Motion Picture Association of America. The plea agreement also called for Lynch to resign immediately.
 
U.S. Attorney Stewart commended the investigation conducted by Senior Special Agent Raymond Collier, DLA Office of the Inspector General and Assistant U.S Attorney Deborah A. Solove who prosecuted the case.