The DOJ has convicted five men for running a Netflix clone full of pirated TV shows

After years of pursuing a radical of piracy advocates for illegally hosting and streaming thousands of stolen TV shows, the Department of Justice doled retired a bid of convictions.

On Thursday, the Department of Justice announced that Kristopher Dallmann, Douglas Courson, Felipe Garcia, Jared Jaurequi, and Peter Huber — 5 men who were liable for moving Netflix knockoff Jetflicks — person been convicted connected aggregate counts of copyright infringement and wealth laundering by concealment that could yet pb to jailhouse time. The 5 defendants (along with 3 different individuals) were first charged backmost successful 2019 erstwhile the US authorities argued that their illegally operated streaming work had led to the nonaccomplishment of millions successful revenue for companies including Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu.

For $9.99 a month, Jetflicks gave its subscribers entree to conscionable implicit 180,000 episodes of assorted tv shows that were initially downloaded from a assortment of pirating websites and subsequently uploaded to the company’s ain servers successful Las Vegas. According to prosecutors, Jetflicks was capable to rake successful millions of dollars with its subscription model, but arsenic issues with outgo processors and objections from studios began to trickle in, the institution attempted to pivot and walk itself disconnected arsenic an enactment focused connected aviation media.

“When complaints from copyright holders and problems with outgo work providers threatened to topple the illicit multimillion-dollar enterprise, the defendants tried to disguise Jetflicks arsenic an aviation amusement company,” FBI Washington Field Office adjunct manager David Sundberg said.

Following their convictions, Dallman is present facing up to 48 years successful prison, portion the different defendants are looking astatine 5 years maximum, but an authoritative sentencing day has yet to beryllium set.