Prosecutors Say Man Used Towson Mailbox in Piracy Scheme

A federal grand jury indicted a Baltimore man on Thursday on charges he reproduced and distributed more than $4 million in pirated computer software.

Naveed Sheikh, 30, could face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted on charges of conspiracy and three counts of copyright infringement, authorities said. Sheikh was at Washington Dulles International Airport on a charge of advertising and selling pirated software.

Federal prosecutors said they are also seeking forfeiture of $4 million in assets. According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Maryland, no court date has been set for Sheikh.

The federal indictment alleges that Sheikh used a Towson post office box and computers in Bel Air and Scranton, PA to copy and sell office software.

Federal authorities said they had been investigating Sheikh for years. According to the indictment, Sheikh sold six pirated applications through his website to an undercover agent in 2006.

Sheikh allegedly requested that payments be made by money order to the Towson mailbox, federal authorities said.