Ex-Dodger Prospect Admits to Dodging Taxes in Karaoke Scheme

William Bene, a former first-round pick, faces up eight years in prison

A former first-round pick for the Los Angeles Dodgers has admitted to a tax-fraud scheme involving the sale of counterfeit karaoke machines, according to the Department of Justice.

Former pitcher William Bene, 44, was charged with criminal copyright infringement and filing a false tax return, according to the U.S. Attorney's office.

On Thursday, a plea agreement was filed in federal court in Los Angeles.

"As part of his plea agreement, Bene admitted that between December 2006 and March 2010, Bene illegally copied and sold karaoke songs on hard drives," according to prosecutors.

Each drive carried about 122,000 songs.

"Intellectual property crimes are not victimless," U.S. Attorney André Birotte Jr. said. "As this federal case shows, these crimes of stealth hurt small the businesses that do play by the rules, and they also deprive the federal government of tax revenue that could be put to beneficial use."

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Bene, of Pasadena, did not report more than $600,000 in sales to the IRS, according to the plea agreement.

The Dodgers selected Bene fifth overall in the 1988 amateur draft, but he never played in the majors.

He faces up to eight years in prison, and is expected to make his first court appearance April 30.

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