A businessman who netted £2.3 million from selling TV boxes which allowed customers to watch Sky services for free has been jailed. Halton Mark Anthony Powell, 44, was sentenced for two and a half years in prison after admitting to supplying articles for use in fraud.
The 44-year-old launched Droidsticks Ltd back in 2013, selling set-top boxes which included software which let users access Sky Cinema and Sky Sports for free. The piece of software which was dubbed the "Droidsticks Wizard" permitted consumers to install add-ons to access Sky’s services and other premium television content.
The police launched an investigation into the businessman two years after he began his illegal enterprise. An online marketplace reported that large quantities of set-top boxes were being sold by Droidsticks, reports Essex Live.
City of London Police, and its Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), uncovered that Powell racked up £2,344,949 thanks to a staggering 24,515 sales of the set-top boxes via the online marketplace. Following their investigations, Powell was arrested by PIPCU officers for his illegal trading ventures.
Authorities seized 1,300 set-top boxes from a storage unit and another 121 boxes from Powell’s shop . During his police interview, Powell answered ‘no comment’ to all questions but then went on to admit supplying articles for use in fraud at Southwark Crown Court on August 23 this year.
On November 11, he was jailed for two years and six months. The Crown Prosecution Service will commence proceedings for confiscation orders against any available assets.
Det Sgt Peter Gartland, from the PIPCU, said: “Powell attempted to hide the illegitimate nature of his business by concealing evidence that he was selling products pre-configured to stream Sky Sports and Sky Cinema. However, PIPCU officers were able to prove he was aware the set-top boxes were being used for this purpose by thousands of customers. It is vital to remember that watching premium content without a subscription is illegal – and enabling access to it can land you with a criminal record, as this case shows.”
Matt Hibbert, Sky’s Director of Anti-Piracy, UK & Ireland said: “We’d like to thank PIPCU for their support in bringing this case to a successful conclusion. The financial sums involved and the length of the sentence handed down today underline the seriousness of this type of criminality.
"We’ll continue to work with law enforcement and our industry partners to protect consumers and take action against those organisations intent on stealing our content.”
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