Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Steven Abboud (58, Davenport) to 5 months’ imprisonment and his codefendant, Diana Robinson (54, Davenport), to 21 days in federal prison for criminal contempt. The court also ordered them to each serve one year of supervised release following their incarceration. The defendant company, Phazzer Electronics, Inc., was sentenced to 2 years’ probation and fined $10,000. The defendants had been found guilty on December 27, 2021, after a 2-day bench trial.
According to court documents, the case originated from a civil case in which Phazzer Electronics, Inc. was being sued for patent and trademark infringement, false advertising, and unfair competition. In that case, the Court ordered Phazzer Electronics, Inc. to stop selling certain products that violated patent and trademark laws. The company was first held in civil contempt for violating the court’s order and was warned that continued violations could result in criminal contempt proceedings. Abboud was an officer of the company and de facto owner, and Robinson was an employee and agent of the company. During the criminal proceedings, the court found that Abboud and Robinson, acting as agents of Phazzer Electronics, engaged in a pattern of activity that continued to violate the court order and that the defendants took conscious steps to circumvent the order.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Gardella.