Anaheim Man Accused of Counterfeiting Music Discs

Police have arrested an Anaheim man in connection with an ongoing investigation of a digital audio piracy ring, described by officials as one of the biggest in Southern California.

Thanh Van Nguyen, 38, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of counterfeiting and was arraigned Friday, Anaheim Police Sgt. Ed Dougherty said.

Detectives discovered 2,700 counterfeit music discs at Nguyen’s home on West Mells Lane, including copies of work by pop stars such as the Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys, Boys II Men and well-known Vietnamese singers. Possessing 1,000 or more counterfeit discs constitutes a felony, Dougherty said.

Last fall, investigators discovered a stash of 32,000 illegally manufactured music compact discs at homes in Anaheim and Westminster.

Counterfeiters were using home computers to make recordings of hit CDs by artists such as Puff Daddy and Celine Dion, as well as Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese pop stars, police said. Detectives were tipped off by private investigators for the film and music industry.

Investigators from the Recording Industry Assn. of America have been working with police to make product identifications. Last year, authorities nationwide seized 500,000 counterfeit cassette music tapes and 600,000 counterfeit music CDs, the trade group estimates.

“Domestically, it cost us $300 million last year,” said Charles Lawhorn, RIAA’s senior vice president and legal director for anti-piracy efforts. “We’ve seen counterfeit discs everywhere, from swap meets to flea markets.”