The former ally of Omi in a Hellcat in the unlawful IPTV industry has turned over his profits to the US government.
Recommended IPTV Service Providers
The federal government ceased the operations of Gears-branded IPTV services owned by Bill Omar Carrasquillo, better known online as ‘Omi in a Hellcat’, in 2019.
Omi in a Hellcat Sued for Unlawful IPTV
It was only in 2022 that Carrasquillo (Omi in a Hellcat) began advising others against participating in piracy. He also expressed his intention to plead guilty to charges of copyright infringement, tax fraud, wire fraud, and other offenses.
Encountering IPTV operators connected with organized crime engaging in activities such as tax fraud, hacking, theft, and other illicit deeds is not unusual.
However, a criminal indictment in 2021 uncovered that the popular YouTuber was not the sole subject of the government’s inquiry.
Jesse Gonzales from California and Michael Barone from New York were also indicted for criminal activities linked to the unauthorized distribution of content from Comcast, Verizon, Spectrum, DirecTV, and Frontier Communications.
Michael Barone confessed to copyright infringement offenses under 17 U.S. Code § 506(1)(A) and 18 U.S. Code § 2319.
The US government’s Order of Forfeiture against Barone stipulates that any property deriving from his illegal activities will be confiscated by the United States, including the proceeds from the pirate IPTV operation.
The pirate IPTV enterprise known as “Gears Reloaded” purportedly amassed over $30 million in revenue.
However, the amount Barone forfeited to the US government was a little over $122,000. Authorities were unable to locate any further assets to seize from Barone.
This order will be executed following Barone’s sentencing, initially scheduled for November 2022, but seems to have not yet occurred.
You can find the original article from TorrentFreak along with the official legal document below.
US vs Michael Barone – Order of Forfeiture (PDF)
Important Note: Be wary of scammers impersonating “Gears TV” with fraudulent websites and subscription packages. This has already been observed with BestBuyIPTV.
BestBuyIPTV Scamming People with Fraudulent Websites
Watch the video below to learn about Omi in a Hellcat’s past legal issues.
For more recent news articles on streaming and IPTV, refer to the links below
- Police Warn IPTV Users by Conducting Home Visits
- Over 55 Streaming Sites Seized by US Government
- IPTV Operators Associated with Organized Crime
Is IPTV Legal?
Iptv Knowledge cannot determine whether unverified IPTV services, apps, or add-ons possess the necessary licenses.
If an IPTV service is deemed illegal, we promptly inform our users and update our website with relevant information.
In conclusion, the end-user bears the responsibility for all content accessed through free IPTV apps and paid services.
For more information on the legality of IPTV and essential details before streaming, refer to our comprehensive guide below.
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Pluto TV is another popular free and legal IPTV application used by millions of cord-cutters.
This free IPTV provider offers hundreds of live channels along with thousands of movies and TV shows.
For more information, refer to our Pluto TV guide below.