UK: Five year sentence hangs over Infinity IPTV pirate operator, who made £237k and is still at large

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Beginning in 2014, Mark Brockley of Liverpool sold subscriptions that enabled the illegal streaming of content hosted by BT Sport, including Premier League, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League football matches, through a service called Infinity Streams. In the process, he made 5,251 sales with a total value of £237,058.

Brockley was found guilty of supplying articles for use in fraud and of the fraudulent evasion of income tax at a trial in his absence at Liverpool Crown Court on 30 March 2023 after he failed to attend court. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment at the same court on 5 May 2023.

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PIPCU, the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit of the City of London Police, launched an investigation in November 2018 after BT reported that a Twitter account, using the handle @Infinity_IPTV, was advertising the sale of premium film, television and sports content to its followers. Subscribers could purchase a month-long subscription to Infinity IPTV for £15.

In July 2019, PIPCU officers executed a search warrant at Brockley’s home address, seizing a laptop coputer and mobile phone, which further linked Brockley to the @Infinity_IPTV Twitter account. They also seized £1,200 in cash.  During his police interview at the time, Brockley answered ‘no comment’ to all questions. He received 10 further payments in relation to the supply of IPTV services, worth a total of £278, following the interview.

Current status

Brockley has not declared any income to HM Revenue and Customs since December 2018, and remains at large. Officers from PIPCU believe that Brockley travelled to France with his dog to avoid prosecution, but his current whereabouts are unknown.

Brockley will serve his prison sentence once he has been arrested.  Police plead for further information about his status and whereabouts.

Further reading

IPTV reseller who fled the UK with his dog to avoid prosecution is jailed for five years.  Press release. May 5, 2023. Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), City of London Police.

Why it matters

“Brockley made tens of thousands of pounds from an illegal activity and used the money to fund his lifestyle. Despite being interviewed by PIPCU officers and knowing that his actions were against the law, he continued to sell IPTV subscriptions and then left the country in an attempt to avoid the consequences of his actions,” said Detective Constable Geoffrey Holbrook, from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police.

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