Two years in prison for illegal Firestick TV sellers

Two years in  prison for illegal  Firestick TV  sellers

A man who sold illegally modified  Firestick TV devices  that breached copyright laws has been jailed for two  years.
Sunny Kanda, of Creek View, Wheatley, in Halifax,  defrauded legitimate  suppliers of more than £108,000  over an 18-month period between 2020 and 2022, a court  heard.
The 41-year-old sold the illegal  devices to Facebook, knowing they provided unauthorised access to premium content platforms  including Sky, BT Sport, Disney+ and  Netflix.
Kanda was sentenced  on Friday at York Crown Court after pleading guilty in August to three  counts of fraud, copyright  infringement and  concealment of wire transfers linked to criminal  activity.
A hearing  set for May 7 will decide  whether the financial  order can still be  placed against him. 'A stark warning'
Kanda's activities were  uncovered following an investigation by National Trading Standards,  the local government and intellectual property organisation  Fact.
An undercover investigator joined  Kanda's closed Facebook group, which had more than 3,900 members, and purchased a  Firestick.
Subsequent analysis  revealed that the device had been modified to access premium  movies, TV and live sports content without a  subscription.
Following Kanda's sentencing, Kieron Sharp, CEO of Fact, said:  "The outcome serves as a consequence for those involved in these criminal  activities and a  stark warning to others considering similar  actions.
"Illegal streaming  is not a victimless crime.  "This undermines the creative  industry, puts consumers at risk of data theft and often funds other serious crimes."