Feds involved in 'Hannah Montana' piracy case

Maybe the feds want to help Miley keep her precious secret identity.

While Cook County prosecutors today dropped charges against 32-year-old Gerardo Arellano for trying to pirate "Hannah Montana: The Movie" last month at a South Barrington theater, it appears the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office are ready to take the case.

South Barrington Deputy Police Chief Ray Cordell said Friday that the matter has been turned over to federal authorities.

Cook County prosecutors declined further comment.

A spokeswoman for the Motion Picture Association of America, which works to fight film piracy, said the trade association anticipates federal charges, though it could be months before they are filed.

Arellano, of the 200 block of Grissom Lane in Hoffman Estates, was charged with computer fraud, criminal use of a motion picture facility, online sale of stolen property and unlawful use of a sound recording device stemming from an April 10 arrest at the AMC South Barrington theaters. He faced three to seven years in prison if convicted of those charges. He had no prior criminal history, authorities said.

Police also said his wife, 32-year-old Maribell Fernandez, admitted to bringing the video camera to her husband.

Authorities said Arellano not only recorded the movie, which stars Miley Cyrus as a schoolgirl who secretly moonlights as a pop star, but they also say they found 44,000 DVDs and CDs, along with dubbing and labeling equipment, at Arellano's home.

Prosecutors also said Arellano was connected with a Web site that allowed viewing of first-run movies on the Internet for a $60 membership fee.