A man is facing a £1million fine and seven years in jail for illegally streaming Premier League games.
Steven King, Paul Rolston and Daniel Malone were sentenced to a combined 17 years for “conspiracy to defraud” in March 2019, having been responsible for the streaming of games in more than 1,000 pubs, bars and homes in England and Wales.
King, who was the ringleader behind Dreambox which supplied illegal streaming devices (ISDs), received the longest sentence of seven years and four months.
Warwick Crown Court jury delivered a guilty verdict, with the Premier League estimating the men made upwards of £5 million.
Now, a new ruling at Warwick Crown Court means that King has been ordered to pay back £963,000 from what he earned through the scheme.
If he doesn’t pay up in three months, he will face another six years and eight months in jail.
Premier League General Counsel Kevin Plumb said about the court order: “This result clearly shows that supplying illegal streams is a criminal offence leading to prison sentences and significant financial consequences.
“We are pleased the courts have recognised the seriousness of piracy-related crimes and the Premier League has requested all money recovered goes back to public bodies, including law enforcement agencies, to help them continue the fantastic work they do in helping bring people like this to justice.”
He added: “The vast majority of our fans watch Premier League action via authorised sources but for those who don’t, they must be aware this is not only an illegal activity that can lead to custodial sentences but they also risk becoming victims of hacking and fraud. We will continue to work with law enforcement to tackle piracy of our content and to educate fans on the dangers of watching Premier League matches via unauthorised streams.”
