The leader of an illegal steaming gang has been given an extended jail term unless he repays £3.75m as the Premier League continues to crack down on services.
Leader of illegal streaming gang ordered to pay back £3.75m (Image: Getty)
The leader of an illegal streaming gang has been sentenced to an additional 10 years in prison unless he repays £3.75 million.
Mark Gould, the mastermind behind illegal streaming service Flawless, has been ordered to forfeit £2.35 million worth of the proceeds of his criminal activities within three months after a hearing at Derby Crown Court.
This is a clear warning to other criminals and armchair viewers looking to use illegal Firesticks to watch illegally streamed Premier League matches.
Gould was one of five offenders who provided illegal streaming of Premier League matches at an industry scale with more than 50,000 customers and 30 staff.
The confiscation orders were followed by similar proceedings against four other offenders totaling £1.4 million, all of whom were ordered to repay a total of £3.75 million or face additional prison terms.
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Gould was originally convicted and sentenced to 11 years in prison in May 2023, while the others were sentenced to a total of 30 years, making it the world’s largest piracy case.
The money will be returned to public funds, with police regularly uncovering clear links to other criminal organizations and activities, and highlighting the Premier League’s continued purge of illegal streamers.
Premier League officials also received support from Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s Trading Standards team and conservation group FACT.
They are determined to crack down on illegal streaming, which they believe is a major threat to TV rights and the gaming status quo, and is closely linked to other crimes.
“These confiscation proceedings demonstrate our determination to ensure that those involved in providing illegal streaming services do not retain the proceeds of their criminal activities,” said Stefan Sergo, the Premier League’s head of enforcement.
The Premier League continues its crackdown on illegal streaming services (Image: Mark Leech/Offside via Getty Images)
“This was a very difficult case and we are extremely grateful for the hard work and expertise of the authorities who assisted us in solving this case.
“The sentences handed down and the funds forfeited in these proceedings testify to the efforts made to bring these people to justice and reflect the seriousness and scope of the crimes.”
Doug Love, head of trading standards research at Hammersmith and Fulham Council, added:
“This is a fantastic conclusion to an investigation that began in 2017. It is essential that criminals who commit crimes out of greed are prevented from profiting from their crimes.
“Those wishing to commit similar crimes should be deterred by the scale of the record prison sentence and confiscation order in this case.”
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