Failed Republican House candidate faces fed sentence for fake DVDs
PITTSBURGH – A Western Pennsylvania man faces a federal court sentence for selling thousands of counterfeit, Chinese-made DVDs on eBay, all while twice running for the General Assembly.
Thirty-five-year-old Michael See ran as a Republican in 2010 and 2012, losing narrowly both times to Democratic state Rep. Jaret Gibbons.
He pleaded guilty in June to wire fraud and copyright infringement in a deal calling for $430,000 in restitution to be paid to the Motion Picture Association of America.
See’s attorney is seeking to avoid a prison sentence, claiming the thefts were fueled by See’s gambling addiction which began when he was a young child, helping his grandmother scratch off instant-win lottery tickets.
Federal prosecutors are asking for prison.