For showing the English Premier League matches illegally, five individuals will reportedly serve a total of 30 years and 7 months behind bars.
It was alleged that these individuals made some fortune showing these matches on their respective websites which do not go in line with the legal system of the country.
Over 50,000 football fans were the target market of the fraud. Which involved the sale of discounted subscriptions to Premier League games.
According to the Manchester Evening News, the Premier League reported that five men were sentenced to prison after being found guilty of conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, and contempt of court. The group made more than £7 million in five years.
36-year-old Londoner Mark Gould was said to have planned the operation. He received an 11-year prison term at Derby Crown Court yesterday (May 30).
In addition to his co-defendants Steven Gordon, Peter Jolley, William Brown, and Christopher Felvus, Gould also provided unauthorized access to games through a variety of international sources.
Tens of thousands of on-demand movies and TV series were also offered as access.
The Premier League reported that Zak Smith, a sixth member of the gang, was the subject of arrest when he failed to show up in court for punishment.
The league claimed that the illicit streaming companies also employed 30 people. Including one undercover employee working for a specialized anti-piracy firm.
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Brown, a Stoke-on-Trent resident, denied participating in a fraud ring. And asserted that he was an undercover informant working for broadcasters and law police.
But after a seven-week trial, the 33-year-old was found guilty by a jury in a unanimous decision. And he was sentenced to prison for four years and nine months, the Premier League said.
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