Facebook illegal Firestick scammer sentenced

Kevin O'Donnell operated under the alias Kevo James

A man who made tens of thousands of pounds selling illegally modified TV Firesticks on Facebook has been sentenced after police raided his home.

Kevin O'Donnell, 41, sold the devices online, made deliveries and also ran annual subscriptions, giving cheap access to hundreds of channels including movies, Sky Sports and other Premier League football coverage.

He had profited by more than £130,000 before he was caught following an investigation, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

O'Donnell, of Altcross Road, Liverpool, pleaded guilty to two copyright and fraud charges and was handed a two-year suspended sentence.

Devices seized

It followed a joint investigation in July 2022 by the Federation Against Copyright Theft (Fact) and Merseyside Police's cyber crime unit.

For a fee of between £40 and £85, O'Donnell's customers were provided with fully loaded Firesticks which gave 12-month access to sports, television channels, and movie content, bypassing legitimate providers.

The investigation began after Fact uncovered O’Donnell's operation on Facebook under the alias Kevo James, with his account boasting more than 3,600 members.

O’Donnell facilitated transactions through Facebook direct messaging and WhatsApp and provided delivery services by post or in person, the court heard.

The sentencing took place at Liverpool Crown Court

He was arrested at his home on 4 July 2023 and devices including computers, laptops, mobile phones and modified Firesticks were seized.

Kieron Sharp, chief executive officer of Fact, said: "The message is very clear - if you sell a device that provides access to content that is not licensed to you or owned by you, you could face criminal investigation, prosecution and a conviction."

Det Insp Steve Frame said O'Donnell made money over a period of several years.

He said: "Illegal streaming is far from a victimless crime, and as well as the impact it has on businesses and content creators, it essentially means that legitimate subscribers pay for those who illegally access such services.

"Illegal streams also increase the risk of users receiving malware."

O'Donnell also received a 25 day rehabilitation activity and was ordered to complete 150 hours unpaid work.