Former Minneapolis lawyer sentenced to 14 years for porn film copyright fraud scheme
FILE: Paul Hansmeier
Minneapolis lawyer sentenced for fraud - A former Minneapolis attorney has been sentenced to 14 years behind bars in a multi-million fraud scheme in which prosecutors said he threatened lawsuits against people for downloading porn videos online.
Last August, Paul Hansmeier admitted to charges in the case, saying he and co-defendant John Steele, also an attorney, created multiple "sham entities" and uploaded pornographic films to file-sharing sites like "The Pirate's Bay."
When others would download the films, investigators said the attorneys would file copyright lawsuits, while hiding their role in distributing the movies, in order to subpoena internet service providers for the identities of people who downloaded the films.
Prosecutors say the lawyers would then harass the downloaders with phone calls and letters threatening to seek huge financial penalties if they didn't pay a $3,000 settlement fee.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says the fraud took place between 2011 and 2014. Steele also admitted to his role in the case.
Along with the prison sentence, Hansmeier was also ordered to pay $1.5 million in restitution.
Before the porn fraud case, Hansmeier also faced controversy for his role in lawsuits against local business owners for minor Americans with Disabilities Act violations.