Tommy Rushing

Track star turned software pirate…that’s what happened to 24-year-old
Tommy Rushing when he began operating numerous for-profit Web sites that offered pirated software for download.

On valuesoftwaresales.com, allsoftwaredownload.com, esoftwarevalue.com, and priceslashsoftware.com, Austin, Texas-based Rushing offered illegal software titles including Adobe and Macromedia. Claiming it as backup software, Rushing and his co-conspirators offered individuals the opportunity to download the software from his Web site or purchase both the download and CD. Rushing would burn the software on a CD-R and then mail it to the unsuspecting consumer. Between early 2006 and September 2007, Rushing and his “partners” sold a combined retail value of $2,500,000. When sentencing is concluded, the defendants have agreed to forfeit a luxury car, HDTV(s), computer equipment, and approximately $40,000 in cash.

On December 19, 2008, Rushing was sentenced to three years in federal prison, three years of supervised release following jail time and a $10,000 fine. Furthermore, Rushing’s 2006 Porsche Cayenne Turbo, valued at approximately $40,000, an HDTV and computer equipment were also seized as part of the sentencing mandate.