Conspirators in Two Android Mobile Device App Piracy Groups Plead Guilty

Members of two different piracy groups engaged in the illegal distribution of copies of copyrighted Android mobile device applications have pleaded guilty for their roles in separate schemes, each designed to distribute more than one million copies of copyrighted apps.

Acting Assistant Attorney General David A. O’Neil of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, US Attorney Sally Quillian Yates of the Northern District of Georgia and Special Agent in Charge Britt Johnson of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office made the announcement. Thomas Pace, 38, of Oregon City (OR), pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement and is scheduled for sentencing on July 9, 2104.

According to the information filed on Jan 24, 2014, Pace and his fellow conspirators identified themselves as the Appbucket Group, and from August 2010 to August 2012, they conspired with other members of the Appbucket Group to reproduce and distribute more than one million copies of copyrighted Android mobile device apps, with a total retail value of over $700,000, through the Appbucket alternative online market without permission from the copyright owners of the apps.

Two other defendants charged in the information -- Thomas Dye and Appbucket Group leader Nicholas Narbone -- pleaded guilty to the same charge in the information on March 10 and March 24, 2014, respectively.