NJ, NY, CA Defendants Indicted for Nationwide Copyrighted IPTV Theft Scheme | USAO-EDPA | Department of Justice

PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams and Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. announced that Bill Omar Carrasquillo, 35, of Swedesboro, NJ; Jesse Gonzales, 42, of Pico Rivera, CA; and Michael Barone, 36, of Richmond Hill, NY, were charged by Indictment with crimes arising out of a wide-ranging and lucrative copyright infringement scheme.

According to the Indictment, from about March 2016 until at least November 2019, the defendants operated a large-scale internet protocol television (IPTV) theft scheme in which they fraudulently obtained cable television accounts and then resold copyrighted content to thousands of their own subscribers, who could then stream or playback content. The defendants also allegedly made fraudulent misrepresentations to banks and merchant processors in an effort to obtain merchant processing accounts. During the period of their scheme, the defendants earned more than $30 million. Carrasquillo, in particular, allegedly converted a large portion of his profits into homes and dozens of vehicles, including high-end sports cars. When agents attempted to seize those items pursuant to judicially-authorized warrants, Carrasquillo made false statements about and attempted to hide some of those vehicles, including a Freightliner recreational vehicle and a McLaren sports vehicle.

Bill Omar Carrasquillo is charged with: one count of conspiracy; one count of violating the Digital Millenium Copyright Act; one count of reproduction of a protected work; 19 counts of public performance of a protected work; four counts of access device fraud; six counts of wire fraud; three counts of making false statements to a bank; nineteen counts of money laundering; two counts of making false statements to law enforcement officers; two counts of removal of property to prevent seizure; and four counts of tax evasion.

Leave a Comment