Gears IPTV Owner and Operator Bill Omar Carrasquillo, also known as “Omi in a Hellcat”, received a prison sentence of 5 and a half years for his illegal operation.
As first reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Carrasquillo must also forfeit more than $30 million in assets including almost $6 million in cash.
Back in 2019, “Omi” was raided by the FBI, which seized numerous vehicles and more in a sting operation at his home.
He posted a video to his YouTube channel of the raid and later pled guilty to tax fraud and criminal copyright infringement.
Gears TV and Gears Reloaded, which Omi owned and operated for many years, were some of the most popular IPTV Providers available.
These services illegally captured and redistributed content from providers such as Comcast, Spectrum DirecTV, and more.
He sold hundreds of thousands of subscriptions to these services and made millions in revenue, which he shared on his social media outlets.
Omi was well known for his YouTube channel, which currently has over 800,000 subscribers.
US District Judge Harvey Bartle III announced Carrasquillo’s punishment in a Philadelphia Federal Court and noted his online presence.
Thirty million dollars is a lot of money [but] tangible objects aren’t everything…
You have a large following, and there may be people who think if you can get away with it, they can too.
Last year, Omi was sued by Nustar Enterprises for trademark infringement of his “Gears Reloaded” branding, which he was using to sell merchandise, including shirts, shoes, hats, and more.
Omi in a Hellcat Sued for Trademark Infringement
Fast forward to this year and Carrasquillo has bigger problems on his hands, which he expressed remorse for during the sentencing hearing:
I really didn’t know the significance of this crime until I was picked up [by the FBI] at my home… I feel like I let everybody down.
Even with his guilty plea, however, prosecutors did not hold back in noting some of the illicit operations Omi was in charge of.
This was illegal the entire time… The message to the general public and Mr. Carrasquillo’s many, many fans is that this was a serious offense that should yield significant punishment.
In total, Carrasquillo will pay nearly $11 million in restitution to the cable companies along with $5.7 million to the IRS for evading taxes.
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