The individual who previously ran HeHeStreams IPTV has confessed to engaging in cybercrime. He has also reached a settlement with the US authorities, agreeing to pay $500,000.
HeHeStreams was an IPTV service that provided access to a vast selection of live streams, particularly focusing on sports content.
Just in the past year, ACE and the MPA took action to shut them down. As a result, the person behind the operation is now facing legal repercussions and potential financial penalties.
We are curious to hear your opinions on this situation. Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. What are your views on the HeHeStreams operator’s decision to settle for $500,000?
Feel free to share your thoughts below!
Based on a TorrentFreak report, the operator of HeHeStreams initially agreed to settle with ACE/MPA. The settlement involved shutting down the website and transferring ownership of the domains.
While there wasn’t any explicit mention of a monetary settlement, it’s reasonable to assume that ACE received some form of financial compensation for the site’s closure.
If you try to visit the original HeHeStreams website now, you’ll be greeted with the screen displayed below:
Interestingly, about a year ago, a Reddit post surfaced from HeHeStreams, discussing the website’s shutdown.
Joshua Streit is the alleged individual behind HeHeStreams. Later on, he discovered that the US government was conducting a criminal investigation into his activities, adding another layer to this intriguing story.
Allegedly, Streit sent an email to an MLB employee back in March 2021. In the email, he claimed to have previously identified a security flaw in their systems. He then requested to be compensated for his supposed “security work.”
Court records, as seen below, have brought to light the exchange between Streit and an MLB executive:
Streit’s request for $150,000 in exchange for revealing the vulnerability to MLB is evident in these records. Notably, this email correspondence is what ultimately prompted the involvement of the FBI and other US authorities.
Moving forward to October 2021, the US Department of Justice made an announcement.. They revealed that Streit had been formally accused of multiple offenses. Among these were wire fraud and making interstate threats with the aim of extortion.
In June 2022, Streit entered a guilty plea for “Computer Fraud – Unauthorized Access to Obtain Information from a Protected Computer.”
In essence, Streit had accessed information from users of an MLB affiliate website without proper authorization.. He then utilized this information to illegally stream games on HeHeStreams, generating profits for himself.
Later, news emerged that Streit had struck a plea deal with the government. This involved him relinquishing $500,000 as compensation for the damages. Additionally, it’s worth noting that he is still facing a potential prison term of up to five years.
Court documents outline the details as follows:
“As a direct consequence of the offense outlined in Count One of the Information, to which the Defendant has pleaded guilty, a monetary judgment will be imposed. This judgment, amounting to $500,000, represents the sum directly linked to the offense specified in Count One of the Indictment, which the Defendant personally acquired. The Defendant shall be held liable for this amount.”
If you’re looking for more in-depth information and access to the official court documents, you can review the case details below.
HeHeStreams & Joshua Streit Court Documents (PDF)
This situation is not unique. We’ve observed similar instances in the past where the US government and copyright protection groups have taken legal action against streaming platforms.
- The US Government has previously made public a list of websites known for piracy.
- Rojadirecta was ordered to pay over $500,000 in a court case it lost against Mediaset.
- The people behind Nitro IPTV were ordered to pay over $100 million following a piracy lawsuit.
To gain a better understanding of the legal aspects surrounding IPTV, we encourage you to explore the following resource.
Here’s a guide that explains the legality of IPTV and what you need to be aware of.
If you’re interested in exploring completely legal and reliable streaming choices, take a look at the popular guides provided below.
- This guide lists the best legal IPTV services available.
- You can find the best free movie apps listed in this guide.
- If you’re looking for the best Firestick apps, check out this guide.
We’d love to hear your opinion.. What are your thoughts on the HeHeStreams operator’s decision to accept a $500,000 settlement? Do you feel that this penalty is a fitting consequence for his actions?
Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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