Illegal streaming service Jetflicks used to proudly claim on its website that users could watch any TV show or movie “Anytime. Anywhere.” But now, the five people behind Jetflicks are facing serious jail time.
A jury in Las Vegas federal court found Kristopher Dallman, Douglas Courson, Felipe Garcia, Jared Jaurequi, and Peter Huber guilty of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement. Dallman was also found guilty of two counts of money laundering and three counts of misdemeanor criminal copyright infringement for leading the Jetflicks operation.
Jetflicks used computer scripts and software to find illegal copies of movies and TV shows online and posted them illegally as far back as 2007. The defendants created a catalog of bootleg shows and movies larger than those of streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, and Amazon Prime.
Users could pay a subscription fee to access Jetflicks on almost any media streaming device with a web browser. Jetflicks claimed to have over 183,200 TV episodes and more than 37,000 subscribers.
Dallman and his co-conspirators made millions of dollars by streaming and distributing this stolen content. Jetflicks operators and employees were making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year from its subscription service.
The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) noticed Jetflicks in 2012 and sent cease and desist letters. Four years later, the FBI started an undercover operation by paying for a subscription. Undercover agents recorded multiple instances of illegal uploads of shows like Shameless, Ray Donovan, The OA, and SyFy’s 12 Monkeys. They traced these uploads back to the defendants’ bank accounts.
A sentencing hearing has not been scheduled yet. Dallman could face up to 48 years in prison, and the other four defendants could each face five years in prison.