A MAN has been ordered to hand over £17,000 under proceeds of crime laws after he was caught selling bootleg vinyl records on the internet.
Frank Macari, 43, admitted a number of offences under the Copyright Act when he appeared at Haddington Sheriff Court on Friday.
He sold counterfeit copies of tracks by acts including Amy Winehouse, The Stone Roses and Pink Floyd.
Macari picked up the fakes at record fairs in Holland before returning home and listing them as mint condition originals on his eBay page.
Macari, of Prestonpans, sold counterfeit vinyl records over eBay and a full investigation of his finances for the six years prior to his arrest by the Serious Organised Crime Division was unable to account for £17,000, which has now been seized. He was also fined £1000. reduced from £1500.
Lindsey Miller, Procurator Fiscal for Organised Crime and Counter-Terrorism, said: "Proceeds of crime legislation is not limited to drug dealers or fraudsters.
"Anyone who seeks to break the law for their own profit can face full financial scrutiny, and the prospect of having all of their available assets confiscated on top of their conviction and sentence.
"The money recovered will be passed to the Scottish Government for re-investment in the community through the CashBack for Communities programme."
ends
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