A man who fled to Northern Cyprus after being convicted of selling ‘pirate TV’ devices has been ordered to pay £259,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
In June, Michael Hornung, late of Hyde, Greater Manchester was sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment for selling and advertising the streaming devices which enabled access to subscription television content without payment being made to the broadcasters.
An investigation into Hornung’s activities began in April 2014 after a test purchase found the device capable of receiving Virgin Media relays of Sky Sports and Sky Movies.
Kieron Sharp from FACT, which works with sports rights holders and broadcast partners to investigate and prosecute suppliers of illegal streaming services, said: “Today’s confiscation order makes clear the consequences of providing illegal streaming services, a serious criminal offence which in this case has led to a substantial prison sentence and now severe financial penalties.”
He thanked Greater Manchester Police for their work on the investigation.
