Cicero couple  nabbed for alleged video pirating

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Updated: March 10, 2012 8:33AM

Elmwood Park police broke up an illegal video pirating scheme after a routine traffic stop for malfunctioning brake lights.

When police pulled over the car on Jan. 26 at Grand Avenue and 75th Avenue, the officer noticed a suitcase on the back seat and got permission to search the car.

Officers found more than 800 DVDs in the suitcase and in a backpack.

The car’s occupants, Paula Loaiza, 35, and Juan Salgado, 29, of 2137 S. 61st St., Cicero, told police they had bought the suitcase and backpack from a man in Chicago.

That opened an investigation by Elmwood Park police and WEDGE Task Force, an organization made up of 10 west suburban Cook County police agencies.

On Feb. 2 WEDGE officers went to the couple’s home in Cicero and found a computer, printer and illegally produced movies scattered around a living room closet, according to the police report.

They seized all of the DVDs, computer equipment and took Loaiza into custody. Salgado was arrested at Big Bowl restaurant in Chicago, where he works.

They were both charged with unlawful possession of unidentified audio/video recordings.

A representative of Movie Picture Association of American and the Recording Industry Association of America inspected the DVDs and confirmed the movies had been pirated. A formal complaint was signed on behalf of both organizations.