CABLE CASE NETS 4 ARRESTS : DEPUTIES SEIZE `BLACK BOXES,' LIST OF CLIENTS.Byline: Jaxon Van Derbeken and Sherry Joe Crosby Daily News Staff Writers A six-month probe of pirate ``black box'' cable television decoders led to four arrests in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. on Thursday as well as the seizure Forcible possession; a grasping, snatching, or putting in possession. In Criminal Law, a seizure is the forcible taking of property by a government law enforcement official from a person who is suspected of violating, or is known to have violated, the law. of hundreds of the illegal devices. Arrested were Eduardo Pereyra, 33, of San Gabriel San Gabriel (săn gā`brēəl), city (1990 pop. 37,120), Los Angeles co., SW Calif.; inc. 1913. Fabric, furniture, paper products, tools, and aircraft parts are manufactured. , Baruch Edri, 25, Meir Edri, 29, and Lemore Yatch, 23, all Israeli natives, said Lt. Sandra Anderson, watch commander at the Norwalk station. The four were booked for receiving stolen property and each was being held on $1 million bail at the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department This article is about the Los Angeles County Sherriff's Department, not to be confused with the smaller Los Angeles County Police The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) is a local law enforcement agency that serves Los Angeles County, California. Norwalk Station, except for Baruch Edri, who was being treated for a congenital congenital /con·gen·i·tal/ (kon-jen´i-t'l) existing at, and usually before, birth; referring to conditions that are present at birth, regardless of their causation. con·gen·i·tal adj. 1. heart ailment ail·ment n. A physical or mental disorder, especially a mild illness. at the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County Medical Center, Anderson said. More than 2,500 pirate cable boxes and related equipment were seized at seven locations throughout the San Fernando Valley. Investigators from the Sheriff's Department and Continental Cablevision conducted the raids, including sites in Van Nuys, Northridge, Reseda and Glendale. Authorities say they seized customer lists with thousands of names and addresses of those who bought the black market descramblers. ``It's a large-scale operation with the biggest location on Erwin Street (in Van Nuys),'' said Sgt. Ron Spear of the Sheriff's Department. Located at 15500 Erwin St., the headquarters supplied and distributed illegally converted cable boxes to satellite offices around the Valley, which in turn sold the devices to customers outside California, said Detective Richard Hiles. Sheriff's deputies uncovered about 2,000 cable boxes and related equipment at the Erwin Street address. Most of the cable boxes were factory sealed and included their customer handbooks. Hiles said some of the seized equipment were among 2,000 cable boxes stolen during a robbery six months ago of the Century Cable Co. in Ontario, Calif., during which 15 employees were held at gunpoint. Some 30 sheriff's deputies from Norwalk and West Hollywood West Hollywood A community of southern California northeast of Beverly Hills. It is mainly residential. Population: 36,600. were involved. The loss to the cable TV industry nationwide would exceed $5 billion over the life span of the equipment, officials said. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos PHOTO (1) Sheriff's investigators take inventory of stolen cable boxes at a warehouse in Van Nuys on Thursday. (2) Police obtained hundreds of illegal cable boxes at Valley sites. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News |
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