Block-busted: Memphis man pleads guilty to leaking movies online before release
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis man is set to be sentenced later this summer for stealing pre-released DVD copies of some blockbuster movies and leaking them online.
37-year-old Steven Hale pleaded guilty to criminal copyright infringement. The Department of Justice says he was working for company in Memphis that manufactured and distributed DVDs and Blu-rays.
From 2021 to 2022, he reportedly stole hundreds of pre-release discs that were only for commercial distribution. They included several big names like 'Dune,' 'Black Widow' and 'Godzilla vs Kong.'
'Spider-Man: No Way Home' was copied before the release date, put online, and was downloaded tens of millions of times, prosecutors said, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in losses by the copyright owner, prosecutors said.
String of store thefts led to chase in South Memphis; two in custody
Hale agreed to make full restitution and return approximately 1,160 stolen DVDs and Blu-rays.
Sentencing is set for August 29.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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