A man who fled to Cyprus before being extradited to the UK has been jailed for his part in an illegal TV operation.
Michael Hornung (40) was sentenced to four years and six months?in prison for advertising and selling specially configured television set-top boxes. The devices allowed access to subscription services from Sky, BT and Virgin Media without payment to the provider.
Hornung had previously been sentenced in his absence in June 2022 after fleeing the UK for Northern Cyprus.
On June 2, 2024, Hornung was arrested in Cyprus by Cypriot authorities following a collaborative effort between FACT and the National Crime Agency (NCA). The NCA facilitated arrangements for his extradition and, after an in-country extradition hearing, Hornung consented to return to the UK.
FACT began investigating Michael Hornung in April 2014 after intelligence revealed he supplied set-top boxes that enabled unauthorised access to subscription television content. With assistance from Greater Manchester Police, FACT identified Hornung as the operator behind NoHatsNoTrainers, trading on the online platform CS World.
Hornung’s operation ran from 2014 to 2017, resulting in a potential loss of £2 million to broadcasters and rights holders and generating approximately £350,000 in fraudulent income.
Hornung received a further 12-week jail sentence for violating the Bail Act.
