Police uncover movie-pirating pair
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Investigators not only found stolen electronics when they searched a home on Athens' Westside last week — they also stumbled onto a sophisticated movie-pirating operation.
They filled a truck and a van with flatscreen TVs and other electronics they believe were stolen in burglaries and found thousands of bootlegged DVDs — some of movies that still are playing in theaters, Athens-Clarke police said.
The suspected thieves are a mother and son who might be in the country illegally, though investigators think it's possible more people could be involved in a larger theft ring.
Authorities identified the suspects as Nelinda Sanchez, 37, and Cesar Omar Rosas-Sanchez, 20.
They are each held without bond at the Clarke County Jail on a single count of theft by receiving, but many more charges are expected as authorities investigate over the next several weeks, according to Athens-Clarke police Sgt. Randy Garrett.
"I don't know how deep this will go, or who all will be involved, but it's probably going to be one of the biggest recoveries (of stolen goods) we've ever had in one location," he said.
Local police also are discussing the case with U.S. Justice Department officials to see if the Sanchezes will be prosecuted for violating federal movie-pirating laws, Garrett said.
"We're going through all of the charges and working with the feds to see if they are interested in going forward" with a prosecution, he said.
Nelinda Sanchez bought the home at 655 Pine Forest Drive in 2005, according to county tax records, but the only official identification she had was a Mexican driver's license.
Garrett, a supervisor with the West Precinct Property Crimes Section, would not say what led police to the home in the Forest Heights subdivision, which is located south of Oglethorpe Avenue between Hawthorne Avenue and the Middle Oconee River.
But while searching the home, officers learned that the Sanchezes had space at the J&J Flea Market in Jackson County, where investigators found more suspected stolen property in storage units the mother and son rented.
Police would not disclose how much stolen merchandise they seized, but detectives have confirmed that four flatscreen TVs, a laptop computer, and a Nintendo Wii came from six different burglaries in Athens.
Two items seized from storage at the Jackson County flea market also came from burglaries, according to police, who believe they will find many more items that came from break-ins as they continue to investigate.
One of the rooms at the house on Pine Forest Drive was used exclusively for copying movies, and investigators seized computers and other movie-pirating equipment, police said.
Investigators haven't determined whether either of the Sanchezes committed any burglaries, stored stolen goods or fenced purloined property, Garrett said.
Athens-Clarke police Maj. Mark Sizemore called finding the cache of suspected stolen goods a major victory for police who have been combating a property crime wave the past several years.
"We did not anticipate the amount of property we found," he said. "It's an excellent lick."
Victor Cuvo
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