Man admits to using stolen cards for iTunes songs scam

Lamar Johnson, 19, posted music on the two sites and then used the stolen details to buy them thousands of times over.

Helen Malcolm QC, prosecuting, said Johnson used "compromised credit card details" in order to cream royalties from the music sales.

Johnson, of Stowheath Lane, Wolverhampton, is the youngest member of a group accused of making nearly 500,000 through the fraudulent downloads.

The group allegedly downloaded the songs thousands of times between January 2008 and June 2009.

Johnson, who is currently serving a five-year prison term for grievous bodily harm, admitted being responsible for about 2,000 of the downloads.

Yesterday he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud while no pleas were entered for the remaining nine defendants.

Judge Deborah Taylor adjourned sentencing of Johnson and ordered him to be remanded in custody.

Leon Miles, 20, of Brooklands Parade, Wolverhampton; Sheehan Steele, 42, of Hartington Road, Birmingham; Matthew Clarke, 31, of Cross Farm Road, Birmingham; James Batchelor, 28, of Stonehill Road, Derby; Rajan Aheer, 21, of Wellington Road, Wolverhampton; Sandeep Aheer, 23, of Wellington Road, Wolverhampton; Colton Johnson, 20, of Deansfield Road, Wolverhampton; and Denver White, 25, of Helming Drive, Wolverhampton are also accused of taking part in the fraud.

Siobhan Clarke, 23, of Limes Avenue, Carshalton, Surrey, was excused from attending the hearing at Southwark Crown Court, central London.

The nine remaining defendants will appear before the court on January 25.