Four Texas men have been sentenced for their roles in the trafficking of counterfeit guitars.
Three of the men are from Fort Worth, while the fourth is from Galveston. All four pleaded guilty to selling 165 counterfeit guitars to unsuspecting pawn shops in a scheme that totaled about $56,000.
The guitars all "bore marks that were identical with and substantially indistinguishable from genuine marks in use" by brands like Gibson, Guild Guitars, and C.F. Martin and Company. Simply put, you could barely tell the difference between the six-string shams and the rocking real deal.
A Federal judge in Philadelphia sentenced the fourth member of the scheme, 27-year-old Randy Gray of Fort Worth, on Thursday.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Gray will serve one day in jail and three years of supervised release and will pay $7,617 in restitution
Co-defendant Josh Davis, 39, of Galveston was ordered to pay the bulk of the restitution penalty -- $22,047.60 -- in January of 2014. Davis will also serve six months of home confinement.
Bruce Alford, 41, of Fort Worth was ordered to pay $8,701 in restitution and a $100 special assessment in December of 2013.
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Finally, 44-year-old Romeo Rondeau of Fort Worth was ordered to pay $7,133.93 in restitution and serve six months of home confinement back in November of 2013.
