Two Individuals Plead Guilty To Conspiring To Traffic Counterfeit Slot Machines and Computer Programs

WASHINGTON, May 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Rodolfo Rodriguez Cabrera, 43, a Cuban national, and Henry Mantilla, 35, of Cape Coral, Fla., pleaded guilty today in front of U.S. District Court Judge Philip M. Pro in Las Vegas to one count of conspiracy to produce and sell counterfeit International Game Technology (IGT) video gaming machines, commonly known as slot machines, and counterfeit IGT computer programs, announced Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division Lanny A. Breuer, U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada Daniel G. Bogden and FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Las Vegas Field Office Kevin Favreau.

Cabrera and Mantilla were indicted by a federal grand jury in Las Vegas on April 22, 2009, on one count of conspiracy, two counts of trafficking in counterfeit goods, two counts of trafficking in counterfeit labels and two counts of criminal copyright infringement. According to court documents, Cabrera and Mantilla conspired between August 2007 and April 15, 2009, to make and sell unauthorized copies of computer programs designed for IGT video slot machines and counterfeit IGT video slot machines bearing IGT's registered trademarks, all without the permission of IGT. The defendants also agreed to forfeit any and all counterfeit items in their possession and any illegal proceeds from their criminal activity.

At sentencing, scheduled for Aug. 20, 2010, the defendants each face a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Cabrera was arrested June 8, 2009, in Riga, Latvia, and extradited from Latvia to the United States on Oct. 23, 2009. Cabrera is the first individual to be extradited from Latvia to the United States under a new extradition treaty between the U.S. and Latvia, which entered into force on April 15, 2009. Cabrera's extradition and prosecution is the result of cooperation between U.S. and Latvian law enforcement and the Latvian government.

The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Thomas S. Dougherty of the Criminal Division's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Chu of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada. Significant assistance has been provided by the Central Criminal Police Department of the Latvian Ministry of Interior; Latvia's Office of the Prosecutor General, International Cooperation Division; and Senior Trial Attorney Deborah Gaynus of the Criminal Division's Office of International Affairs.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice