Tennessee

MEMPHIS, TN – A former employee of a DVD and Blu-ray manufacturing company was sentenced today to 57 months in federal prison for stealing hundreds of pre-release movie discs and selling them online, as well as for illegally possessing a firearm. According to court documents, 38-year-old Steven R. Hale of Memphis worked for a multinational company that manufactured and distributed DVDs and Blu-rays for major movie studios. Between February 2021 and March 2022, Hale stole pre-release copies of films including F9: The Fast Saga, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Godzilla v. Kong, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Dune, and Black Widow. Federal prosecutors said Hale sold the stolen discs through e-commerce sites. One of the stolen Blu-rays, Spider-Man: No Way Home, was illegally...

NASHVILLE, TN – Skyler Philippi, 24, of Columbia, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to destroy an energy facility. According to court documents, Philippi planned to attack Nashville’s energy infrastructure using a drone equipped with explosives. He conducted reconnaissance of an electrical substation, researched explosives, and communicated his intent to use C-4 or TATP on a drone to disable the facility. Philippi was arrested on Nov. 2, 2024, after meeting undercover FBI employees at a hotel and preparing to attach an armed explosive to a drone. Prosecutors stated Philippi had been motivated by violent extremist ideology, previously affiliating himself with Atomwaffen Division and the National Alliance. He also wrote a manif...