News Archive

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12/31/2009	DIRECTV files a complaint against Packers Inn and Donna Engleman of Waterloo, Iowa for commercial misuse. DIRECTV seeks damages for violations of several federal statutes, including The Cable Communications Act of 1984 and 47 U.S.C. §605, which provides for statutory damages of up to $100,000 per violation.  - Complaint
12/28/2009	DIRECTV obtains judgment for $20,677 against Lorrie Newman and JJ Ryan’s Pub & Grill in Peoria, Illinois, for Commercial Misuse.  - Judgment
12/28/2009	DIRECTV files a complaint against Wounded Minnow Saloon and Kyle Belew of Dowagiac, Michigan for commercial misuse. DIRECTV seeks damages for violations of several federal statutes, including The Cable Communications Act of 1984 and 47 U.S.C. §605, which provides for statutory damages of up to $100,000 per violation.  - Complaint
10/02/2009	DIRECTV files complaints against four bars for commercial misuse. DIRECTV seeks damages for violations of several federal statutes, including The Cable Communications Act of 1984 and 47 U.S.C. §605, which provides for statutory damages of up to $100,000 per violation.  - Timeout Sports Bar and Lounge; John & Deanna Shore and Fitzpatrick Burns lawsuit (Kernersville, NC)  - Terry’s Hideout; Terry Bjorkman lawsuit (Cashton, WI)  - Pine Cone Bar and Grill; Jason Rodebaugh and Irvin & Paula Tessmer lawsuit (New Lisbon, WI)  - Saints P & P; Clifton Amos and Brian Hayden lawsuit (Louisville, KY)
09/18/2009	DIRECTV files complaints against four bars for commercial misuse. DIRECTV seeks damages for violations of several federal statutes, including The Cable Communications Act of 1984 and 47 U.S.C. §605, which provides for statutory damages of up to $100,000 per violation.  - Game Time Sports Grill & Wings; Teresa Lynn Cochran lawsuit (Arlington, Tennessee)  - Luna’s Deli & Grill; Mohammad Tabbaa lawsuit (Broadview Heights, Ohio)  - Oade’s Bar & Grill; Jeffrey Oade lawsuit (DeWitt, Michigan)  - Ozone Sports Bar; Mark Lokar lawsuit (Columbus, Ohio)
09/09/2009	DIRECTV obtains judgment for $110,671.87 against Charles Plummer and Mister P’s Buffalo Wings in Nashville, Tennessee, for Commercial Misuse.  - Judgment
09/01/2009	DIRECTV obtains judgment for $35,728 against Ashok Kumar, Cozak Family Enterprises and Lamppost Pizza in California, for Commercial Misuse.  - Judgment
06/23/2009	Michael Manhart, a former third-party installer/salesperson who used stolen identities to create fraudulent accounts on behalf of both DIRECTV and Dish Network, was charged with 2 class E felonies (Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree and Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree) after the conclusion of an investigation by the New York State Police with the assistance of the Office of Signal Integrity. The subject created at least 40 fictitious accounts by calling or emailing an authorized DIRECTV dealer and providing them with a real name and social security number coupled with fictitious address and phone information. Manhart pleaded guilty to both charges and was sentenced on June 23, 2009 to 5 years of probation. He has also been ordered to pay $16,000 in restitution, $9,000 of which will be paid to DIRECTV.
06/17/2009	Sergio Soto of Avon Park, FL pleaded guilty to 1 misdemeanor count of Unlawful Reception of Cable TV Services and 1 felony count of Scheme to Defraud on June 17, 2009 in Highlands County, Florida. He was sentenced to 5 years of probation and was ordered to pay $7,827.59 in restitution to DIRECTV. Soto was arrested and charged in April 2009 by the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office after the conclusion of a joint investigation with the Office of Signal Integrity. Soto is a former installation subcontractor who acquired nearly $8,000 in services between August 2006 and August 2007 by illicitly activating a high-definition receiver on a DIRECTV Titanium account after completing a service call for the customer. Titanium subscribers receive DIRECTV’s highest level of programming, including all of the movie channels and free, unlimited Pay-Per-Views.  - Press Release