Overview

• Investigators said Steven R. Hale, 38, took hundreds of pre‑release DVDs and Blu‑rays from a multinational disc manufacturer and distributor between February 2021 and March 2022.
• Authorities seized about 1,160 discs, and prosecutors said Hale sold early copies through e‑commerce platforms.
• Court filings state the Spider‑Man Blu‑ray was ripped by bypassing encryption and posted more than a month before its retail release, with estimated losses in the tens of millions of dollars.
• Hale pleaded guilty in May 2025 to criminal copyright infringement and to being a felon in possession of a firearm, agreeing to full restitution and the return of the seized discs.
• The firearm was found loaded with a round chambered and 13 in the magazine, and DOJ and the FBI said the case underscores active enforcement against commercial‑scale intellectual property theft.