A man made more than £72,000 selling modified Fire TV Sticks to over 540 people, charging an annual fee to maintain access to illegal streaming platforms. Aaron Smith, 41, of Point Clear Road in St Osyth, admitted selling access to illegal streaming services.
In 2023, Smith received a cease-and-desist letter, along with all other identified users, explaining the criminal offences he would commit if he continued accessing illegal streaming services. He ignored the warning, and a subsequent investigation found he was supplying hundreds of people with access to the illegal services.
Investigation and Arrest
Smith was initially arrested in December 2024 and gave no comment in interview while police carried out a warrant at his Clacton home. His laptop and phone were seized during the search.
Messages recovered from Smith's phone showed he was advertising the devices for sale as early as October 2020. The laptop revealed conversations about selling the Firesticks, details of payment methods, and posters advertising the service. Hundreds of payments related to the devices were made to Smith's bank accounts, totalling more than £72,000.
Court Proceedings and Sentence
An account Freezing Order was put in place under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) to freeze funds believed to represent criminal property. After a lengthy investigation supported by the Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), Smith was charged with money laundering and the sale or hire of an article infringing copyright. He pleaded guilty to both offences at Chelmsford Crown Court on July 21, 2026.
On October 15, he was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 30 hours of rehabilitation activities and 150 hours of unpaid work. POCA hearings will be scheduled to establish what funds may be available for confiscation.
Impact and Warnings
Detective Sergeant Mike Monkton, of the Essex Police Proactive Money Laundering Team, said: "This was a criminal enterprise. The evidence showed Smith put himself at the centre of organised crime. The financial cost to the affected businesses is vast. Every device undermines legitimate broadcasters and sports clubs down to a community level who rely on legal revenue."
He added: "It is far from a victimless crime and carries real consequences: those accessing the illegal streaming services also risk fines, criminal records or even prison for using them, as Smith knew when he received the cease-and-desist letter."
Nick Sumner, Investigations Manager at FACT, said: "We welcome this sentence and were pleased to support Essex Police during the investigation. Anyone selling illegally modified streaming devices or profiting from pirated content should be under no illusion: police, rights holders and FACT are working closely to identify them, disrupt their operations and ensure they face the consequences."
