BUFFALO, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Ryan Breen, 33, of Savannah, N.Y., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to trafficking in counterfeit goods involving the sale of unauthorized merchandise from the popular FX Network Television series "Sons of Anarchy." The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $2,000,000 fine.
According to Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Fauzia K Mattingly, who is handling the case, Breen was identified as the owner and operator of various websites which offered for sale over the Internet counterfeit t-shirts and goods using the Sons of Anarchy trademark without the permission of the Twentieth Century Fox Entertainment Group, the producer and exclusive owner of the Sons of Anarchy TV series. The defendant's websites were seized by federal agents as part of a nationwide crackdown aimed at combating intellectual property theft. Through his websites, Breen had sold over $75,000 worth of customized Sons of Anarchy clothes, hats, and other items that infringed the trademark of Fox.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Special Agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James C. Spero.
Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 27, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
