N.O. man arrested after deputies find thousands of DVDs of movies and musical CDs he “burned’’ for sale in an SUV rigged to download from the Internet

A New Orleans man who had a movie and music factory on wheels was arrested when St. Bernard Parish sheriff’s deputies found thousands of DVDs of movies and musical CDs he “burned’’ for sale in an SUV he rigged to download from the Internet, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

Ronald Johnson, 40, 5102 E. Nemours St., was booked July 29 with making for distribution unauthorized movie and sound reproductions and with possessing equipment for making unauthorized reproductions. He has been released on bond from St. Bernard Parish Prison but the bond amount wasn’t available.

Johnson showed Sheriff’s Deputy James Norsworthy and Sgt. Marco Spicuzza 1,643 copied DVDs and about 1,200 copied CDs he had in his vehicle – along with equipment for burning them after downloading from the Internet, the sheriff said. There were also numerous blanks DVDs and CDs in the vehicle.

The officers had answered a call about a suspicious person in the parking area of the sheriff’s Communications Center and the Palms Casino in Chalmette about 2:30 a.m.

Johnson, who gave permission to search the vehicle, acknowledged he was downloading movies and music from a web site on the Internet and selling copies to customers he had, Sheriff Pohlmann said. He said he kept portable DVD players in the vehicle so buyers could preview the quality of movies they bought them.

Johnson also said he sold movies currently out in release at theaters as well as others.