According to Fayetteville

police, Wendell Alvin Corley has been in the illegal

cable television business for quite some time, and

business has been good.

The 63-year-old

Fayetteville man was arrested Monday morning in the

parking lot of Home Depot at Fayette Pavilion, concluding

a joint undercover investigation between local police and

MediaOne security personnel.

At a press conference

Wednesday afternoon at the Fayetteville Police Department

headquarters, a large table displayed a portion of what

the would-be entrepreneur was allegedly using for his

underground enterprise.

A total of 80 descramblers,

or "black boxes," were found in Corley's

possession, along with a number of computer chips and

other accessories that allowed him to construct devices

for unauthorized reception of cable television services.

With the help of the

computer chips, descramblers can be used to pick up basic

cable channels, premium movie channels and pay-per-view

services. Although illegal, they are often sold on the

Internet and in various publications, according to

MediaOne.

The result of this black

market, MediaOne says, is a loss of $5 billion per year

nationwide by cable companies. Corley's equipment alone

could account for a $250,000 loss to MediaOne, he said.

"It's a tremendous

loss to our industry as well as the community," a

MediaOne representative said.

Authorities have determined

that he sold the boxes for up to $300 each, using

equipment purchased wholesale from Florida and elsewhere.

Copies of his business

card, identifying him as the "Cable Man" and

even using an old MediaOne logo, were also displayed with

the confiscated equipment.

Three handguns also were

found. He had one in his van at the time of his arrest,

but Fayetteville Police Lt. Tom Kirkbride said that he

was completely cooperative and did not display the

weapon.

Corley is charged with

possession and selling of telecommunications devices, a

felony in Georgia punishable with fines up to $1,000 and

a 12-month prison sentence. He also faces federal charges

for his actions.

Officials said that they

learned of Corley through conversations with two other

suspects recently arrested and charged with similar

crimes in Fayette and DeKalb counties.

Corley had been in the

illegal cable business locally at least six to eight

weeks, and probably longer, police said. Authorities are

still unsure how many boxes he has sold.

MediaOne representatives

were quick to point out that customers who purchased

boxes from Corley and continue to use them also are

committing a felony, and the company will be on the

lookout for them if they continue.

Such customers are

encouraged to turn the boxes in immediately and MediaOne

would like for them to become legitimate subscribers, a

representative said Wednesday. Those who voluntarily turn

the boxes in will likely be free of the threat of

prosecution, he said.