Arpaio sweeps hit sellers of bootlegged media (Arizona Republic)

Arpaio sweeps hit sellers of bootlegged media

by Megan Gordon - Sept. 6, 2009 06:57 PM
The Arizona Republic

A crime sweep at a southwest Phoenix swap meet and surrounding areas led to 53 arrests Saturday, Maricopa County Sheriff's Office said.

The two-day operation is centered on crimes committed in the areas between Baseline and Indian School Roads and 19th to 51st Avenues.

Deputies raided El Gran Mercado swap meet, 1820 S. 35th Ave. in Phoenix on Saturday. They received a tip from recording industry experts in California that venders were selling bootlegged CDs and DVDs, said Deputy Lindsey Smith, sheriff's office spokesperson.

The undercover deputies arrested 10 vendors at Mercado, seven adults and three minors. They're being charged with copyright violations, a felony, Smith said.

She said thousands of DVDs seized at the swap meet were valued around $100,000. Some of the movie titles included "District 9" and "G.I. Joe."

Of the 53 people arrested Saturday night, 24 were undocumented immigrants, Smith said. The suspects were arrested for various crimes ranging from drug possession to driving on a suspended license.

This is the 11th crime suppression sweep since Arpaio started them in 2008.

The sweep will continue through Sunday night. Up to 200 deputies and posse members will participate, concentrating on criminal, traffic and anti-illegal immigration violations.

In response to critics who tell Arpaio he is wasting money on small-time criminals, the sheriff compared his actions to DUI task forces.

"We have hundreds of officers going after DUIs," Arpaio said. "Are they all violent offenders? No. I give the same answer. You never know when you stop someone on a cracked windshield, who you're gonna pull over."