U.S. DA Recommends 12.5 Year Sentence for Prenda Law Mastermind Paul Hansmeier

U.S. DA Recommends 12.5 Year Sentence for Prenda Law Mastermind Paul Hansmeier

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Erica MacDonald, the U.S. District Attorney for Minnesota, filed last Monday a strongly worded sentencing recommendation document asking for a 150-month (12.5 years) sentence for former Prenda Law mastermind Paul Hansmeier.

The length of the sentence recommendation, the document reveals, was limited by the plea agreement the government and Hansmeier reached last August.

As XBIZ has extensively reported, Hansmeier, along with Prenda partners John Steele and Paul Duffy, “created a series of fake entities through which they obtained copyrights to pornographic movies, some of which they filmed themselves and then uploaded the films to file sharing websites to lure others to download them.”

The attorneys, according to our previous report “would then file fake copyright infringement lawsuits, concealing their own roles in the distribution of the films. Steele admitted to investigators he and Hansmeier would threaten the individuals involved in the fake lawsuits with financial penalties and public embarrassment if they didn't agree to pay a settlement fee.”

After a plea agreement, Hansmeier changed his initial not-guilty plea to guilty last August. Steele pled guilty in March 2018. Duffy died in 2015 from heart- and alcohol-related conditions.

In the 16-page sentencing document she filed Monday, U.S. Attorney MacDonald described Hansmeier as “greedy, arrogant, devious, mendacious and consistently [positioning] other people to be damaged by his conduct, even as he enjoyed the proceeds of the scheme he orchestrated.”

“Paul Hansmeier was the driving force behind this massive scheme,” the government stated with repetitive, harsh rhetoric. “It was Hansmeier who came up with the idea to construct a copyright settlement mill focused on pornographic films. It was Hansmeier who directed his brother to upload clients’ movies onto file-sharing websites to lure downloaders. It was Hansmeier who drafted nearly all of the legal pleadings used to deceive judges. It was Hansmeier who invented phantom hacking allegations. And it was Hansmeier who lied to judges, dissembled in depositions and coerced others to conceal the truth.”

“While John Steele assumed an equal partnership in the settlement mill,” the document continued, “Steele primarily handled the business side of operations — interacting with clients, organizing business entities, collecting payments, producing movies and paying bills. Steele was the brash frontman whose false bravado and half-truths drew the ire of defense attorneys and judges, but witnesses repeatedly identified Hansmeier as the Machiavellian presence behind the scenes directing the creation and dissemination of false statements to courts.”

As part of his plea deal, Hansmeier pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Chaturbate Announces 2025 Music Contest Winners

Chaturbate has revealed the winners of its 2025 music competition.

2026 XBIZ Exec Awards Pre-Noms Open With Debut of New 'Impact' Honors

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the pre-nomination period for the 2026 XBIZ Exec Awards, the adult industry’s premier career honor, begins today and runs through Oct. 14.

MYM Launches New Traffic System

German creator platform MYM has launched a new traffic system for its members.

Ukrainian Content Creators on Hook for Nearly $10M in Back Taxes

Content creators in Ukraine owe the equivalent of $9.3 million in back taxes, according to the country's State Tax Service.

European Patent Office Board of Appeals Revokes EIS GmbH Patent

The European Patent Office (EPO) Board of Appeals last week ruled in favor of pleasure brand LELO in the company's ongoing dispute with Satisfyer parent company EIS GmbH.

Eroutique Relaunches Site Through YourPaysitePartner

Eroutique has relaunched its official website through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Update: Pornhub Will Not Block Ohio, Despite AV Law

Pornhub parent company Aylo will not block access to its websites in Ohio, despite new state age verification rules that came into effect Sept. 30.

Pineapple Support, Pornhub to Host 'ADHD-Friendly' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Pornhub are hosting a free online support group for performers with ADHD.

Judge Dismisses Some Claims in 'Children of Pornhub' Trafficking Suit

A United States district judge on Friday dismissed some but not all claims against Aylo in a long-running case involving CSAM allegations featured in the influential 2020 New York Times article “The Children of Pornhub.”

FSC Sets Key Dates, Qualifiers for December Board of Directors Election

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) today announced key dates and qualifiers for its upcoming Board of Directors election.

Show More