EUGENE, OR — An Oregon man is pleading guilty to copyright infringement for creating illegal video streaming and downloading websites.
Talon White of Newport, Oregon plead guilty to one count each of criminal infringement of copyright and tax evasion.
Since 2013 White had been copied and distributed thousands of copyrighted movies and television shows. He set up websites hosting the content and then charged customers a subscription fee to view and download the movies and shows, netting more than $8 million dollars.
When it came time to file his taxes, he underreported over $4.4 million dollars and evaded more than $1.9 million dollars in taxes.
White now faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release for both charges.
According to court documents, “As part of the plea agreement, White has agreed to pay $669,557 in restitution to the Motion Picture Association of America and $3,392,708 in restitution, including penalties and interest, to the IRS. White has also agreed to forfeit more than $3.9 million seized from his bank accounts, approximately $35,000 in cash, cryptocurrency holdings worth an estimated $424,000, and a 2,248 square foot home in Newport, Oregon worth an estimated $415,000.”
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