DA: Manhasset man sold bootleg copies of Oscar-nominated hits

A Manhasset man sold hundreds of bootleg copies of Hollywood movies -- including Oscar-nominated hits -- from his home, Nassau County prosecutors said Thursday.

Ali Breland, 41, faces felony charges of one count of first-degree scheme to defraud, one count of second-degree trademark counterfeiting, and one count of first-degree failure to disclose the origin of a recording after being arrested Wednesday, according to a news release from District Attorney Kathleen Rice.

Breland also sold the pirated DVDs from websites offering copies of hit movies, prosecutors said.

He faces a maximum sentence of 11/3 to 4 years in prison if convicted.

He was issued an appearance ticket and is scheduled to return Feb. 11 to First District Court in Hempstead. He is not represented by counsel.

Undercover investigators from the Motion Picture Association of America, in partnership with district attorney investigators, had made several purchases from Breland of hundreds of counterfeit DVDs beginning in September, prosecutors said.

All purchases took place outside Breland's Manhasset home. Once received, the DVDs were found to be counterfeit.

SEE PHOTOSNotable LI crimes

DA investigators executed a court-ordered search warrant of Breland's home finding evidence of packaging of pirated DVDs, instruments used to make the illegal recordings, blank disks, as well as computers used to sell counterfeit DVDs over the web, the release said.

Included among the illegal DVDs listed for sale on Breland's website were Oscar-nominated films "12 Years a Slave," "Gravity," and "The Wolf of Wall Street." All are currently in theaters.

Breland also offered first-run movies, television series and other recordings for sale on Craigslist and his own webpage.