Florence police detective earns gold record for music industry work

FLORENCE — Florence Police Sgt. Tim Compton has something in common with music artists Jay-Z, Amy Winehouse and Carrie Underwood.

In his office hangs a plaque with a gold record — the same plaque awarded to artists for outstanding album sales.

But Compton didn’t receive the award for releasing chart-topping hits or breaking Nielsen SoundScan sales records.

He received it for protecting those who do.

The Recording Industry Association of America presented Compton with a gold record for his work in cracking down on music piracy and the illegal distribution of sound recordings.

Compton is the only law enforcement officer in the state to receive the honor. He is a 23-year veteran of the police department who investigates white-collar crimes.

But its all part of a day’s work for Compton, who said he has a personal interests in counterfeiting and illegal distribution crimes.

“This (award) is not a light thing to them,” he said. “The music industry and artists lose millions each year because of illegal recordings.”

Compton has confiscated more than $100,000 in illegal recordings since he’s been investigating local counterfeiting and music piracy crimes, Florence Police Maj. Raines said.

Compton said he’s also confiscated nearly $900,000 in counterfeit goods.

Compton has worked with the S.C Secretary of State’s Office and private companies to investigate these crimes, which he said can be likened to working on a drug investigation.

“You go in, you make a buy you examine it and have an expert look at it ...,” he said. “You don’t want the small person, you try to get them to call up their supplier.”

In some cases, it has taken Compton and other investigators almost two years to track down one illegal music distributor.

Detectives discover pirated music on city streets, at flea markets and in local businesses, Compton said.

“People will sell it out of their vehicles. They’ll open up the trunk and they’ll have CDs, DVDs and shoes,” Compton said. “There are a lot of people out there looking for a good deal. If there’s a demand, there’s going to be suppliers out there.”

Violators often have four to five CD burners they use to make hundreds of copies of illegal music each day, Compton said.

They spend very little money on equipment and discs, but can make as much as a 300 percent profit from selling these items, he said.

“It’s well worth the price for those people,”Compton said. “You’re looking at a very high profit margin.”