French Man Who Stole, Resold Taylor Swift’s Unreleased Album Sentenced to 8 Months in Prison: Report

A French factory worker who got his hands on some early copies of Taylor Swift's new album was reportedly sentenced to eight months in prison on Friday.

According to French media outlet Alouette, the unidentified 43-year-old man stole 10 copies of Swift's upcoming Speak Now (Taylor's Version) from the MPO France record-pressing factory in Le Mans, where he was temporarily employed.

"I couldn't even afford to eat lunch. My life is complicated," the man reportedly explained during his recent sentencing at Le Mans Criminal Court, according to Ouest-France.

Alouette reported that the man stole 10 discs while they were being transported in the factory before selling two at 25 euros each (around $27) on Leboncoin, a classified ad site in France.

Those two discs have not yet been recovered, which leaves the album vulnerable to leaks and bootlegged copies ahead of its July 7 release date.

"It's our future that is compromised. There are jobs and millions of euros at stake," said a spokesperson for MPO, which was contracted by Universal Music Group (UMG) to press the album.

A UMG spokesperson did not immediately respond to The Messenger's request for comment.

Upon his attempt to sell another set of discs at 50 euros each ($54), the man was busted by an MPO France employee who suspected the theft.

The man's eight-month sentence reportedly includes two months for revoking a previous suspended sentence, and he is next due in court for another hearing to determine how much in damages he owes to MPO France.