Feds Slap Alleged New Jersey Pirate Radio Operator With $920K Fine

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Federal authorities have slapped an alleged pirate radio operator in New Jersey with a $920,000 fine – a penalty of $20,000 per day.

Masner Beauplan has been accused of running an unauthorized radio station on 91.7 MHz in Irvington, otherwise known as “Radio Leve Kanpe.” The station allegedly operated for a total of 46 days between November 2023 and January 2024, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The FCC initially filed a notice about their allegations against Beauplan and proposed the $920,000 fine in September 2024. Federal authorities cited broadcasting in Irvington and Maplewood in their notice.

Beauplan did not respond to the notice, authorities said.

The FCC issued a forfeiture order against Beauplan earlier this week, providing the following explanation about their allegations:

“Operating an unauthorized, or pirate, radio station is illegal under section 511 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and undermines the primary mission of the Federal Communications Commission to manage radio spectrum. Such illegal operations can interfere with licensed communications, including authorized broadcasts and communications by public safety entities. Moreover, such illegal operations pose a danger to the public because they interfere with licensed stations that inform their listeners of important public safety messages, including Emergency Alert System transmissions that provide vital information regarding weather and other dangers to the public.”

If Beauplan does not pay the penalty within 30 days, the case may be referred to the U.S. Department of Justice for enforcement.

SEARCHING FOR A PIRATE RADIO STATION

The FCC provided the following case background as part of their initial notice of apparent liability for forfeiture:

“On August 30, 2023, field agents (Agents) from the FCC’s New York Field Office monitored the frequency 91.7 MHz in the vicinity of Vauxhall, New Jersey, and, using direction-finding techniques, traced the source of the signal to a residence located at [redacted] Vermont Street, Maplewood, New Jersey (Vermont Street Site). The Agents took field strength measurements of the Station’s signal and determined that it exceeded the limits for operation under part 15 of the Commission’s rules. The Agents listened to and recorded the audio programming on 91.7 MHz. The Agents also took pictures of an FM broadcast dipole antenna mounted to the chimney at the Vermont Street Site. A review of Commission records revealed no authorization for any FM broadcast station to operate at or near the Vermont Street Site on any frequency.

“On September 7, 2023, Agents conducted an inspection of the Station operating on 91.7 MHz located at the Vermont Street Site. The agents arrived onsite around 12:30 p.m. and found the Station was not broadcasting, although they observed the same chimney-mounted antenna as was seen on August 30, 2023. The Agents conducted an inspection escorted by a person identifying themself as the property owner (Owner). The Agents observed an FM transmitter located in a shed at the Vermont Street Site. The Owner identified the Station operator as Masner Beauplan and claimed Beauplan was currently renting office space from the Owner at a different address in Maplewood, New Jersey. To substantiate this claim, the Owner provided the Agents with a copy of a lease agreement that commenced on January 1, 2023, and ended on December 31, 2023, for the Maplewood office space. The lessee was identified as Radio Leve Kanpe, LLC, with Beauplan signing the lease as the company’s president. The lease expressly stated: ‘Use: The Premises are to be used and occupied only and for no other purpose than Office Space for purposes of Radio Station.’

“On November 16, 2023, Agents from the New York Office monitored the frequency 91.7 MHz in the vicinity of Maplewood, New Jersey, and, using direction-finding techniques, traced the source of the signal to a multi-family residence located at [redacted] Tiffany Place in Irvington, New Jersey (Tiffany Place Site). The Agents took field strength measurements of the signal and determined that it exceeded the limits for operation under part 15 of the Commission’s rules. The Agents also took pictures of a roof-mounted FM broadcast dipole antenna (and coaxial cable leading from the antenna into the residence) at the Tiffany Place Site that very closely resembled the antenna that was first observed at the Vermont Street Site on August 30, 2023, and again on September 7, 2023. The Agents listened to and recorded the audio programming on 91.7 MHz.18 The Station was identified at multiple points in the recording as ‘Radio Leve Kanpe 91.7 New Jersey.’ A review of Commission records revealed no authorization for any FM broadcast station to operate at or near the Tiffany Place Site on any frequency.

“On January 8, 2024, Agents again monitored the frequency 91.7 MHz in Irvington, New Jersey, and, using direction-finding techniques, traced the source of the signal to the Tiffany Place Site. The Agents took field strength measurements of the signal and determined that it exceeded the limits for operation under part 15 of the Commission’s rules. The Agents also took pictures of the same roof-mounted FM broadcast dipole antenna and coaxial cable that had been observed at the Tiffany Place Site on November 16, 2023. The Agents listened to and recorded the audio programming on 91.7 MHz. The Station was identified at multiple points in the recording as ‘Radio Leve Kanpe 91.7 New Jersey.’ In the same recording, the Station’s studio telephone number was announced as [redacted] and the host identified Masner Beauplan as president and general manager of the Station. Masner Beauplan is listed in wireless carrier records as the subscriber (i.e., the person to whom the number is assigned) of the Station’s studio number [redacted] as announced in the audio recordings of Station broadcasting.

“While searching for websites and social media related to Radio Leve Kanpe, Agents found Facebook accounts for Masner Beauplan. One account showed an advertisement for a program Beauplan hosts on the Station called ‘Jounal Radio Leve Kanpe,’ which is broadcast Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., then repeated on those same weekdays from 9:00 p.m. to midnight and also on Saturdays from midnight to 1:00 a.m. The account also displayed a picture of Beauplan next to that advertisement.”

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