Prenda Law's John Steele Sentenced to 60 Months for Fraud

Prenda Law's John Steele Sentenced to 60 Months for Fraud

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Federal judge Joan Ericksen has sentenced Prenda Law’s John Steele today to 60 months in prison for fraud.

Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Erica H. MacDonald of the District of Minnesota announced Steele’s sentence today. The initial investigation was conducted by the FBI and IRS-Criminal Investigations.

Steele pleaded guilty on March 6, 2017. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,541,527.37. Steele and former partner Paul Hansmeier reportedly obtained approximately $3 million from fraudulent copyright lawsuits.

Hansmeier was sentenced to 14 years in prison last month.

As XBIZ has extensively reported, Florida attorney Steele, along with Prenda partners Hansmeier 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.”

“While John Steele assumed an equal partnership in the settlement mill,” last month’s sentencing document for Hansmeier read, “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.”

“It is almost incalculable how much your abuse of trust has harmed the administration of justice,” Judge Ericksen said during Hansmeier’s sentencing

For more on John Steele's sentencing, visit the Department of Justice website.

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

Russian Lawmakers Call for Age Verification

Two Russian lawmakers have called on the country’s government to implement age verification for adult content.

British Documentary Spotlights XBIZ Amsterdam With Candid Conversations

British creator and host Josh Pieters traveled to XBIZ Amsterdam to film a documentary about the annual European adult industry conference.

XBIZ 2026 to Debut 'New Talent Go-See' Special Event

XBIZ 2026, North America’s premier adult industry conference, will debut a special event designed to help new talent jump-start their careers: the New Talent Go-See.

Penthouse Announces Digital Archive Launch

Penthouse Magazine has announced that it will launch a comprehensive digital archive in 2026.

Dreamcam Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

Dreamcam has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches by Country for August, September

AEBN has released the list of popular searches from its straight and gay theaters by country in August and September.

AV in Focus: A Guide to Unlocking Compliance With Clarity

The age verification era isn’t coming — it’s here. Laws are already on the books in numerous U.S. states, as well as in the U.K., France and beyond.

Canadian Privacy Commissioner Endorses National AV Bill

Philippe Dufresne, privacy commissioner of Canada, has voiced support for a bill that would impose fines of up to $500,000 on adult sites that do not implement age verification for Canadian viewers.

Ricky Johnson Launches 'Ricky's Resort' Through YourPaysitePartner

Ricky's Room studio honcho Ricky Johnson has launched his latest site, RickysResort.com, through YourPaysitePartner (YPP).

Industry Attorney Paul Cambria Retires After 50 Years of Practicing Law

After more than a half-century in practice, during which he provided the defense in some of the adult industry's most notable legal cases, attorney Paul Cambria has retired.

Show More