LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Sentences for 5 Las Vegas males prosecuted within the largest web piracy case ever to go to trial have been introduced Tuesday within the infamous “Jetflicks” case, a Las Vegas-based streaming service that made thousands and thousands from stolen copyrighted TV packages.
Kristopher Lee Dallmann, 42, acquired the stiffest sentence: seven years in federal jail. The U.S. Justice Division mentioned in a information launch that Dallmann reaped thousands and thousands in revenue from the operation. A “conservative estimate” positioned the worth of the copyright infringement within the case at $37.5 million. Dallman was convicted of conspiracy to commit copyright infringement, legal copyright infringement by distribution, legal copyright infringement by public efficiency and cash laundering.
Jetflicks was a web-based subscription-based service with headquarters in Las Vegas. It let subscribers stream and generally obtain copyrighted packages. The amount of content material was huge. “At one point, Jetflicks claimed to have 183,285 different television episodes, significantly more than Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, Amazon Prime, or any other licensed streaming service,” in keeping with the Justice Division.
Different sentences introduced on fees of conspiracy to commit copyright infringement: Peter H. Huber, 67, sentenced to 18 months in jail; Jared Edward Jaurequi, often known as Jared Edwards, 44, sentenced to time served (virtually 5 months in jail); Felipe Garcia, 43, sentenced to 3 years probation with 49 days in jail and 1,000 hours of group service; and Douglas M. Courson, 65, sentenced to 3 years probation with 48 days in jail. The sentences have been issued Might 29-30, in keeping with the information launch.
They have been convicted in June 2024 in Las Vegas.
It’s the greatest piracy case as measured by the estimated whole infringement quantity and whole variety of infringements. It was additionally the primary unlawful streaming case ever to go to trial, officers mentioned.
“Digital crimes are not victimless crimes,” U.S. Legal professional Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada mentioned. “The copyright owners lost millions of dollars as a result of the illegal paid streaming service. These sentences underscore our joint commitment with the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and FBI to deter and disrupt intellectual property crime via thorough investigation and prosecution of those who violate federal intellectual property laws.”
Courting again so far as 2007, the defendants used software program and laptop scripts that ran consistently to scour websites all over the world internet hosting pirated content material, downloading, processing and storing unlawful content material. Jetflicks then made it instantly out there on servers in the US and Canada.
Tens of 1000’s of paid subscribers participated. Jetflix typically delivered episodes to subscribers the day after the reveals initially aired.
The 5 defendants sentenced have been amongst eight defendants initially indicted in Virginia. Defendant Darryl Polo beforehand pleaded responsible to 4 counts of legal copyright infringement and one rely of cash laundering for his involvement with Jetflicks and one other service known as iStreamItAll. Defendant Luis Villarino additionally pleaded responsible to conspiracy to commit legal copyright infringement. In Might 2021, a choose sentenced Polo and Villarino to, respectively, 57 months in jail and 12 months and a day in jail.
After the case was transferred to Nevada for trial, defendant Yoany Vaillant was tried individually from the opposite 5 remaining defendants. In November 2024, after an eight-day trial, a federal jury convicted Vaillant of conspiracy to commit legal copyright infringement. Vaillant is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 4.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Oliva and Edward G. Veronda prosecuted the Nevada case together with senior counsel Matthew A. Lamberti, trial lawyer Michael Christin, and Performing Deputy Chief Christopher S. Merriam of the Prison Division’s Pc Crime and Mental Property Part.
