A man who made almost a quarter of a million pounds through a scam involving the streaming of top football matches is thought to be on the run with his dog in France.
Mark Brockley, 54, made £237,000 by selling IPTV subscriptions that enabled the illegal streaming of content hosted by BT Sport, including Premier League, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League football matches, through a service called Infinity Streams.
Brockley was found guilty in his absence of supplying articles for use in fraud and the fraudulent evasion of income tax at a trial at Liverpool Crown Court on March 30 2023 after he failed to attend court. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment at the same court today (May 5).
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Officers from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at the City of London Police believe that Brockley travelled to France with his dog to avoid prosecution, but his current whereabouts are unknown. Brockley will serve his prison sentence once he has been arrested
Detective Constable Geoffrey Holbrook, from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit at City of London Police, said: “Brockley made tens of thousands of pounds from an illegal activity and used the money to fund his lifestyle. Despite being interviewed by PIPCU officers and knowing that his actions were against the law, he continued to sell IPTV subscriptions and then left the country in an attempt to avoid the consequences of his actions.
“We are now appealing for information on Brockley’s whereabouts, and ask anyone who may be able to help to contact the City of London Police.”
PIPCU launched an investigation in November 2018 after BT reported that a Twitter account, using the handle @Infinity_IPTV, was advertising the sale of premium film, television and sports content to its followers. Subscribers could purchase a month-long subscription to Infinity IPTV for £15.
The unit identified that Brockley, of John Bagot Close, Liverpool, had made 5,251 sales with a total value of £237,058 from 24 October 2014 to 8 May 2019. Of these, 1,408 sales, worth a total of £50,479, made a clear reference to IPTV services, but officers from PIPCU believe that the remaining payments were also related to the sale of these services. Brockley had not declared any income to HM Revenue and Customs since December 2018.
PIPCU officers executed a search warrant at Brockley’s home address on 24 July 2019, and seized a laptop and mobile phone, which further linked Brockley to the @Infinity_IPTV Twitter account. They also seized £1,200 in cash.
During his police interview, Brockley answered ‘no comment’ to all questions. He received 10 further payments in relation to the supply of IPTV services, worth a total of £278, following the interview.
Anyone with information on Brockley’s whereabouts can contact the City of London Police on 020 7601 2222, quoting 18000532990. Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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