Manchester court sinks pirate set-top box seller with big fine and potential 7-year jail term

September 14 - Manchester Crown Court has made a major anti-piracy statement, imposing a heavy fine and additional jail time on an illegal decision-making provider who gave access to Sky Sports pay-TV coverage and especially to live Premier League games.

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Michael Hornung, 38, was first sentenced to four years and six months in prison in June 2022 for selling and advertising unauthorized set-top boxes for fraudulent purposes over a three-year period between 2014 and 2017.

Homung, who is still at large but believed to be still at large and who lives in northern Cyprus, was ordered in his absence to pay £258,642.95 under the 2002 law on proceeds of crime.

Hornung has three months to pay the fine or faces an additional three years to his sentence.

FACT is a UK intellectual property organization that works with sports rights holders and broadcast partners. His investigation began in June 2014 with a test purchase of an illegal set-top box which was found to allow access to hundreds of channels on Virgin's cable subscription service, including Sky Sports, without payment. is not carried out.

Hornung was arrested in February 2017 and charged with various offenses including fraud, but later fled the UK before being convicted.

FACT Managing Director Kieron Sharp said, "Today's forfeiture order clearly demonstrates the consequences of providing illegal streaming services, a serious criminal offense which in this case has resulted in a substantial prison sentence and now heavy financial penalties.

"We are delighted that the court has recognized the seriousness of the hacking crimes and we thank Greater Manchester Police for their support and assistance during a complex investigation.

“The money recovered will go to public agencies, including law enforcement, which assist them in their efforts to bring criminals to justice.”

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