7 jailed in counterfeit DVDs bust at Marysville Flea Market

An enforcement operation conducted by the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force over trafficking counterfeit goods resulted in seven arrests on Sunday at the Marysville Flea Market — and two trucks filled with allegedly pirated copies of movies and music.

Local residents arrested are:

• Irasema L. Espindola, 18, of the 5000 block of Lindhurst Avenue in Linda, arrested on suspicion of fraud, counterfeit mark violation and criminal conspiracy;

• Eludim Espindola-Torres, 30, also of the 5000 block Lindhurst Avenue, arrested on suspicion of criminal conspiracy; and n Gerardo Hernandez-Reyes, 28, of the 1500 block of Upland Drive, Yuba City, arrested on suspicion of criminal conspiracy.

State and federal officers with search warrants went to San Jose and the Marysville market on Simpson Lane in Yuba County, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department said.

The hi-tech task force seized about 50,000 counterfeit CDs, 30,000 DVDs and nearly $26,000 in cash believed to be a portion of the profits from the operation.

One man familiar with the flea market in Marysville said copies of movies were for sale there before DVDs were in stores. The copies sold for $5, said the man, who declined to give his name.

Officers were at the Marysville market from about 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sunday.

More than a thousand people were attending the flea market and the event went on as scheduled. Voicemails left Monday at the office of the market were not answered.

Law enforcement agencies involved in the raid included the FBI, the Yuba County Sheriff's Department, Sacramento County Sheriff's Department and the Marysville Police Department.

The Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force is a multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional task force that investigates high-technology crimes, identity theft crimes, intellectual property theft and other offenses.

CONTACT Ryan McCarthy at rmccarthy@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4780. Find him on Facebook at /ADrmccarthy or on Twitter at @ADrmccarthy.