Postman made £200,000 supplying illegal Firestick access to Premier League games

[TrueBlueTerrier]

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/postman-made- ... 00264.html

A PEMBROKESHIRE postman made more than £200,000 supplying customers with illegal access to Premier League games through modified Firesticks.

Michael Barrow, of Priory Road in Milford Haven, provided around 1,800 customers with illegal access to live games on Sky Sports, BT Sport, and later TNT Sports, as well as from foreign broadcasters – giving access to games which weren’t viewable in the UK.

Barrow sold 12-month subscriptions for the equivalent of “a legitimate sports package to Sky alone for a single month”, Ari Alibhai said, prosecuting on behalf of the Premier League.

The defendant used the alias ‘Mr Bean’ when he was loading the Firesticks, and either sent them to customers in the post, or they could collect them from his home.

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Swansea Crown Court heard Barrow reached customers through the Telegram app. Users had to be recommended by a current customer and provide their full name otherwise they were removed.

He instructed customers to label payments as being for replica or retro football shirts in an attempt to avoid detection.

Barrow was initially identified in April 2021 following a report by anti-piracy organisation FACT. An investigation was launched by South Wales Police and FACT, and Barrow was issued with a cease and desist notice.

Despite this, he continued to run his operation until his arrest.

Mr Alibhai said an estimated £167,411 relating to his operation was paid into Barrow’s PayPal account between April 2020 and February 2024, as well as a further £45,939 into his NatWest account.

The prosecutor said the estimated losses to broadcasters was valued at £6 million.

Officers attended Barrow’s home on February 22, 2024. He told police he had left his phone at work. However, the officers asked him to use ‘Find my phone’ on his Apple Watch, and it was located under a pile of clothes under the stairs.

The court heard Barrow had installed a football-themed bar in his garden, with a projection screen in order to illegally watch games himself.

Barrow, 48, pleaded guilty to three offences of making or supplying an article for use in fraud.

Megan Williams, for Barrow, said the operation “snowballed” after initially starting out providing access for friends and family.

“The defendant entered guilty pleas at the very first opportunity,” she said.

“He fully accepts the prosecution case.”

Ms Williams added the defendant had no previous convictions.

“You got yourself voluntarily and deeply involved in what can only be described in a large scale commercial fraud,” said Judge Paul Thomas KC.

“It was, on any view, a highly sophisticated operation you were running. You did so over a prolonged period of time.

“All this time you were employed as a postman.

“You had a steady income, but greed overtook you.”

Barrow was jailed for a total of three years and two months, and will return to court for a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing on October 16.

[hero22]

Yet benefit fraudsters who cheat the system while loving in Their own homelands get away with a slap on the wrist.

All depends who you are and who your stealing from

[Mr Rush]

Won't someone think of the footballers' talentless children!?