This article from Iptv Knowledge provides details of the resolution reached between the provider of HeHeStreams IPTV and the US government. The provider has committed to paying $500,000 in compensation.
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HeHeStreams was a live TV service that offered a wide selection of live streams, Pay-Per-View (PPV) events, and various sports content.
HeHeStreams IPTV Operator Pays US Government $500K
As per reports and an official court document, the individual behind HeHeStreams is the subject of a criminal investigation by the US government for a range of offenses.
The individual, Joshua Streit, is accused of wire fraud, transmitting interstate threats with intent to extort, and other charges.
As part of a plea deal, Streit has consented to a payment of $500,000 in damages and could potentially face a prison sentence of up to five years.
Moving back to July 2021, ACE shut down the HeHeStreams website, and the website now displays the following message, a development outlined in a Reddit thread by an apparent operator of HeHeStreams.
In March 2021, Streit approached an MLB employee claiming to have previously exposed a network vulnerability in their systems and demanding compensation for his “security work.”
Court documents reveal an email exchange where Streit requested $150,000 in exchange for the disclosure to MLB. This exchange prompted US government involvement.
Streit pleaded guilty in June 2022 to “Computer Fraud – Unauthorized Access to Obtain Information from a Protected Computer.”
Put simply, Streit unlawfully accessed MLB website users and used it for illicitly streaming sports events on HeHeStreams for monetary gain.
The court documents state:
“As a result of the offense charged Count One of the Information, to which the Defendant pled guilty, a money judgment in the amount of $500,000, representing the amount traceable to the offense charged in Count One of the Indictment that the Defendant personally obtained, shall be entered against the Defendant.”
This is not the first instance of copyright authorities pursuing IPTV operations:
- Nitro TV Ordered to Pay Over $100 Million in Damages
- PrimeStreams IPTV Operators Targeted in Piracy Lawsuit
- Dreambox TV Operators to Pay $1 Million or Face Prison
For further details, access the official court documents below.
Joshua Streit Court Documentation (PDF)
It will be interesting to see the actions taken by the US government against the HeHeStreams operator and the IPTV services that may be targeted next.
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