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 NEWS  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 RAYON  SHERWIN  “JUNIOR”  PAYNE  SENTENCED  TO  PRISON  FOR  UNLICENSED  RADIO  OPERATION 
 Washington,  D.  C.  -  Today,  the  Federal  Communications  Commission  (FCC)  announced  that,  in  the  United  States  Middle  District  of  Florida,  Orlando  Division,  United  States  Magistrate, 
 Honorable  David  A.  Baker  sentenced  Rayon  Sherwin  “Junior”  Payne  to  9  months  imprisonment,  followed  by  one  year  supervised  release  during  which  time  he  must  perform  50  hours  of  community 
 service.  Payne  was  charged  with  multiple  counts  of  operating  an  unlicensed  FM  radio  facility,  in  violation  of  Title  47,  United  States  Code,  Section  301.  He  pleaded  guilty  to  two  of  the  counts 
 before  Magistrate  Judge  Baker. 
 The  conditions  of  supervised  release  stipulate  that  Payne  must  not  violate  any  Federal,  State  or  Local  laws,  including  Section  301  of  the  Communications  Act  of  1934,  as  amended.  The  case 
 was  prosecuted  by  the  United  States  Attorney’s  Office,  Middle  District  of  Florida,  Orlando  Division. 


 The  conviction  and  subsequent  sentencing  is  the  result  of  an  investigation  that  began  in  February  of  1999.  The  Commission’s  Tampa  Florida  Office  received  complaints  from  residents 
 and  broadcasters  in  the  Orlando,  Florida  area  of  interference  to  the  reception  of  licensed  broadcast  stations  in  the  area.  Payne  pled  guilty  to  two  counts  of  unlicensed  radio  operation  and  agreed  to 
 forfeit  all  equipment  used  in  connection  with  the  unlicensed  operation  in  February  of  2003. 
 The  operation  of  an  unlicensed  broadcast  station  is  a  violation  of  Section  301  of  the  Communications  Act  of  1934,  as  amended.  Operators  of  unlicensed  stations  may  be  subject  to  civil 
 monetary  penalties  of  up  to  $11,000  per  single  violation  or  per  day  of  a  continuing  violation  not  to  exceed  $87,500  for  continuing  violations.  In  addition,  unlicensed  operators  may  be  subject  to 
 criminal  sanctions,  including  a  maximum  $100,000  fine  and  up  to  one  year  imprisonment  for  a  first  offense. 


 -  FCC  - 
 Enforcement  Bureau  Contact:  Lisa  M.  Fowlkes  at  (202)  418-  7450  /  TTY  1(  888)  835-  5322 


 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE:  May  12,  2003  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACT:  David  Fiske  (202)  418-  0500 
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