Computer programmer convicted for role in illegal streaming service

A computer programmer who played a crucial role in operating one of the biggest illegal television streaming services in the United States has been found guilty by a Nevada jury, according to federal prosecutors. Yoany Vaillant, a 43-year-old permanent U.S. resident, was employed as a computer programmer for Jetflicks, an online subscription-based service in Las Vegas. This service allowed users to stream and download copyrighted television episodes without the consent of the owners, as reported by the Justice Department.

Vaillant was convicted of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement, marking him as the eighth and final defendant to be found guilty in this case. Jetflicks, which was headquartered in Las Vegas, claimed to offer a staggering 183,285 different television episodes at one point, surpassing popular streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. The service often provided episodes to subscribers shortly after they aired on television, leading to significant financial losses for U.S. television and streaming industries.

In 2019, Vaillant and seven other defendants were indicted in Virginia for their involvement in running Jetflicks. One of his co-defendants, Darryl Polo, also a computer programmer, pleaded guilty to multiple criminal copyright counts and one money laundering count. He was subsequently sentenced to four years and nine months in prison. Luis Villarino, another defendant in the case, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement and received a one-year prison sentence.

The case was transferred to the District of Nevada in February 2022 for trial. Vaillant’s trial was separated from five other defendants – Dallmann, Jaurequi, Douglas Courson, Felipe Garcia, and Peter Huber – who were all tried in Las Vegas. All five were found guilty of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement, with Dallmann facing additional counts of criminal copyright infringement and money laundering by concealment.

Dallmann, Courson, Garcia, Jaurequi, Huber, and Vaillant are set to be sentenced in February. This case stands out as the largest internet piracy case in terms of the volume of infringed works and is the first illegal streaming case to go to trial. The impact of such illegal streaming services on the entertainment industry is significant, leading to millions of dollars in losses for copyright owners and legitimate streaming platforms.