29 year-old Jonathan Edge of Liverpool pleaded guilty to three offences under the Fraud Act and was remanded in custody at the end of October. His sentence was handed down on November 12 at Liverpool Crown Court.
Edge happens to be at least the second Liverpool resident to be sentenced by this Court during 2024; another being Kevin James O’Donnell, sentenced in June to a two-year sentence for the same offense, which was suspended.
In addition to the three year and four month prison sentence for selling pre-loaded illicit streaming devices, Edge received a separate sentence of two years and three months for accessing and viewing the content he was supplying, to be served concurrently.
The prosecution was undertaken by the Premier League and was supported by a number of organisations, including FACT and Merseyside Police.
Multiple warnings
Edge had ignored multiple warnings to stop this activity which was referenced by the judge and treated as an aggravating factor towards the sentence passed.
Relying on advertising through Facebook posts and word-of-mouth recommendations, Edge ran a service uploading illegal services on to Firestick devices in return for cash-in-hand payments at his home. His own use of the unauthorised service was treated as a distinct crime in itself.
Further reading
Man jailed for over three years for using and selling illegal Firesticks. Press release. November 12, 2024. FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft, UK)
UK: FACT investigation exposes Fire Stick pirate, leads to suspended sentence and unpaid work. Article. by Steven Hawley. June 4, 2024. Piracy Monitor
Why it matters
“The significant sentence handed down to the individual involved once again serves to highlight the severity of his actions and we thank Merseyside Police for their support throughout the case,” said Kevin Plumb, Premier League General Counsel.
“We will continue to pursue legal action against those supplying unauthorised access to Premier League football, regardless of the scale or mode of operation. Ignoring warnings to stop only served to make the consequences worse for the individual.
“The selling of broadcast rights supports the Premier League’s industry-leading financial contribution to the whole football pyramid and we’re pleased that the courts have once again recognised the importance of safeguarding these rights with the outcome of this case. No matter the scale, we will continue to protect these rights by carrying out investigations and prosecuting illegal operators at every level.”
