As a result of their participation in a network that unlawfully streamed Premier League football events, five individuals have been sentenced to prison terms totaling more than 30 years.
Five individuals were convicted at the Chesterfield Justice Centre after being found guilty of conspiracy to defraud, money laundering, and contempt of court.
The league describes the investigation as the greatest prosecution of its sort that has ever taken place anywhere in the globe.
Streaming of matches and other content was provided in an unauthorized manner to more than 50,000 consumers and resellers by three companies operating under the names Flawless, Shared VPS, and Optimal.
Over the course of five years, the combined earnings of Mark Gould, age 36, Steven Gordon, age 46, Peter Jolley, age 41, Christopher Felvus,
age 36, and William Brown, age 33, were greater than $8.6 million. Gould, who the judge referred to as the "driving force" behind the plot,
was sentenced to 11 years in jail, while the four other defendants were sentenced to between three and more than five years each.
During the course of the inquiry, significant evidence of other major criminal activity was discovered.