FBI busts illegal streaming site that boasts more content than Netflix, Amazon
Two programmers pleaded guilty to copyright charges in association with two illegal streaming services, including one site that had more content than Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime, according to the Department of Justice.
Darryl Julius Polo, 36, pleaded guilty last week to running Las Vegas–based streaming site iStreamItAll as well as working on the illegal streaming website Jetflicks, the Justice Department announced Friday.
He also pleaded guilty to money laundering, according to federal prosecutors.
Luis Angel Villarino, 40, pleaded guilty in a separate trial on Friday to working as a computer programmer on Jetflicks.
Polo said he reproduced tens of thousands of copyrighted television episodes and movies without authorization and streamed and distributed the programs to thousands of paid subscribers throughout the U.S., prosecutors said.
Polo would send out emails to iStreamItAll subscribers urging them to cancel subscriptions to licensed sites, highlighting the catalog of 118,479 TV episodes and 10,980 movies, according to the Justice Department.
The illegal website had more content than licensed streaming services Netflix, Hulu, Vudu and Amazon Prime, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said Polo would use “sophisticated computer programming” to search global pirate sites for new illegal content.
Polo and Villarino both pleaded guilty to also working separately as computer programmers at Jetflicks, another subscription-based illegal streaming site based out of Las Vegas.
Polo’s sentencing will be held on March 13, and Villarino’s will be held on March 20.
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