Clacton man sentenced for money laundering after selling access to illegal streaming platforms
The 41-year-old sold the platforms to over 500 people
A Clacton man has been handed a suspended sentence after he admitted to selling access to illegal streaming platforms via Fire TV sticks.
Aaron Smith, 41, of Point Clear Road in St Osyth, sold the access to more than 540 people according to Essex Police.
He charged people annual fees to maintain the access he gave them.
Smith was initially sent a cease-and-desist letter in 2023 along with all other identified users explaining the criminal offences he would be committing if he continued to access illegal streaming services.
Smith ignored the warning and the following investigation discovered he was supplying hundreds of people with access to the illegal services.
He was arrested in Clacton in December 2024 and gave a 'no comment interview' while officers carried out a warrant at his Clacton home. His laptop and phone were seized.
Messages recovered from his phone showed he was advertising the devices for sale as early as October 2020, whilst the laptop showed conversations about selling the sticks.
Hundreds of payments related to these devices were made to Smith's bank accounts, totalling more than £72,000. An account Freezing Order was put in place to freeze the money the force believed to represent criminal property.
Smith pleaded guilty to money laundering and the sale or hire of an article infringing copyright in July at Chelmsford Crown Court.
He was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years at the same court this month.
Detective Sergeant Mike Monkton, of our Proactive Money Laundering Team, said:
“This was a criminal enterprise. The evidence showed Smith put himself at the centre of organised crime.
“The financial cost to the affected businesses is vast. Every device undermines legitimate broadcasters and sports clubs down to a community level who rely on legal revenue.
“It is far from a victimless crime and carries real consequences: those accessing the illegal streaming services also risk fines, criminal records or even prison for using them, as Smith knew when he received the cease-and-desist letter.”
Nick Sumner, Investigations Manager at FACT, said:
“We welcome today’s sentence and were pleased to support Essex Police during the investigation.
“Anyone selling illegally modified streaming devices or profiting from pirated content should be under no illusion: police, rights holders and FACT are working closely to identify them, disrupt their operations and ensure they face the consequences.”