James Delahunty
1 Mar 2005 21:38
If you think back to the headlines in January 2004, you may remember that actor Carmine Caridi was questioned by investigators after screener copies of motion pictures for award consideration that were sent to him, leaked onto the Internet. Some of the titles were "Something's Gotta Give," "The Last Samurai," "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" and "Thirteen". Invisible watermarks on the screeners lead investigators to Caridi.
It later emerged that Caridi had sent his screeners to Russell Sprague, who he believed was simply a movie enthusiast. However Russell had alternative plans and made copies of the movies instead, which then appeared on the Internet. He was facing up to three years in prison and was to be sentenced on March 21st. However, Sprague has been found dead in a Los Angeles prison cell.
His body was discovered on Monday and the US Marshals Service suspects he may have died of a heart attack. He had pleaded guilty to copyright infringement in a Los Angeles court last April. Caridi also was fined $300,000 for providing Sprague with the screeners in November. It is also believed that he was expelled from the Academy for the Screener leaks.
Source:
Newsday