The Print Shop Foreman

A large religious community raised millions of dollars through street solicitation. Members sold bumper stickers bearing redrawn copyrighted images, such as cartoon characters, and sometimes wore false charity identification. For five years a devotee ran the community's print shop, deciding whether it could handle jobs ordered by a supervisor, buying supplies and doing the work. The prosecution said he oversaw the redrawing of copyrighted images, that the shop bought its own press after outside printers refused the work, that he learned of a warning from a cartoon company, and that he sometimes attended meetings where the scheme's illegality was discussed. He was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. He testified that his supervisor assured him the images were altered enough to avoid infringement, and said he was simply a devotee following orders.