Kevin Cogill, who leaked nine new Guns N Roses songs on his blog and was subsequently arrested by the FBI, has launched an appeal to help raise money towards his legal costs. As previously reported, he faces federal criminal charges of copyright infringement and is facing up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines. His preliminary hearing is set for 17 Sep.
He wrote on his blog: "It has definitely been by far the biggest expense I have ever faced in my entire life, and my resources are very limited while formidable costs shall continue to pile up. It's beyond daunting, being a single independent citizen facing a full-force prosecution by the most powerful government in the world. The United States Attorney`s Office has almost unlimited resources to prosecute. The FBI has nearly unlimited resources to investigate. And by 'resources' I mean taxpayer dollars. Of course, in this case they also have the added resource of the band's lawyers, on which they have already relied. Supporters have expressed an interest in contributing to a defense fund, so I've opened one up".
He also told Antiquiet: "I am trying to take full responsibility for my predicament, and see my legal fees as mine to bear".