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Source: US FBI

After a two-week trial, a federal jury in Las Vegas yesterday convicted a Cuban citizen and U.S. permanent resident for helping operate an illegal streaming service with one of the largest quantities of infringing works. The defendant, who was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement, is the eighth and final defendant to be convicted in the case.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Yoany Vaillant, 43, worked as a computer programmer for Jetflicks, an online, subscription-based service headquartered in Las Vegas that permitted users to stream and, at times, download copyrighted television episodes without the permission of relevant copyright owners. At one point, Jetflicks claimed to have 183,285 different television episodes, far more than Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, or any other licensed streaming service. At Jetflicks, Vaillant worked directly with Kristopher Dallmann and Jared Jaurequi, who were convicted of criminal copyright offenses by a different jury earlier this year.

According to his resume, Vaillant had 15 years of computer programming experience when he started at Jetflicks and knew 27 computer languages. During the four-and-a-half months that Vaillant worked at Jetflicks he made significant contributions to the operation of the service, including fixing issues affecting the automated downloading, processing, syncing, uploading, and streaming of Jetflicks’ inventory of infringing television episodes.

Evidence at trial showed that Vaillant and his co-conspirators scoured the internet to find infringing television programs from pirate sites around the world — including some of the biggest sites specializing in infringing content such as The Pirate Bay, RARBG, altHUB, and Nzbplanet — using automated software and computer scripts that ran nonstop. Vaillant and his co-conspirators reproduced hundreds of thousands of copyrighted television episodes without authorization and streamed the infringing programs to tens of thousands of paid subscribers located throughout the United States, often providing episodes to subscribers the day after the shows originally aired on television. The vast scale of Jetflicks’ piracy affected every significant copyright owner of a television program in the United States and resulted in millions of dollars of losses to the U.S. television show and streaming industries.

Vaillant was one of eight defendants indicted in the Eastern District of Virginia in 2019 for running Jetflicks. In that case, Vaillant’s co-defendant Darryl Polo, a computer programmer, pleaded guilty to four criminal copyright counts and one money laundering count, which related to Jetflicks as well as another illegal streaming site he operated. Co-defendant Luis Villarino, also a computer programmer, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement at Jetflicks. The court sentenced Polo to four years and nine months in prison and Villarino to one year and one day in prison.

In February 2022, the court transferred the case to the District of Nevada for trial. The court in the District of Nevada subsequently severed Vaillant’s case from the other remaining five defendants — Dallmann, Jaurequi, Douglas Courson, Felipe Garcia, and Peter Huber — and those defendants were tried in Las Vegas last June. Dallmann ran the Jetflicks operation with assistance from Jaurequi and Courson; Garcia was in charge of customer support and helped obtain television show content; and Huber provided computer programming services. A jury found all five defendants guilty of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement, and Dallmann was also found guilty of three additional counts of criminal copyright infringement and two counts of money laundering by concealment. This was the largest internet piracy case by volume of infringed works — and first illegal streaming case — ever to go to trial.

The court will sentence Dallmann, Courson, Garcia, Jaurequi, Huber, and Vaillant on Feb. 3 and 4, 2025. The court will determine any sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI Las Vegas Field Office.

Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti, Trial Attorney Michael Christin, and Acting Deputy Chief Christopher S. Merriam of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Oliva for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case.

Source: US FBI

RENO – A Reno resident was sentenced by United States District Judge Miranda M. Du to 10 years in prison to be followed by 20 years of supervised release for coercion and enticement of a teenage boy.

According to court documents, in March 2023, Gregory Weeks (37) engaged in sexually explicit conversations with and sent nude videos of himself masturbating to a 15-year-old boy. The conversations included making plans to have sex in a hotel in Reno. Weeks drove from Utah to Reno and picked the victim up outside the gate leading to the victim’s home. Weeks then drove the victim to a hotel where Weeks made reservations and engaged in sexual activities with the victim.

In July 2024, Weeks pleaded guilty to one-count of coercion and enticement. In addition to imprisonment, Weeks was also ordered to pay $6,150 in restitution to the victim. Under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), after his release from prison, Weeks will be required to register as a sex offender.

United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.

The FBI-led Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is comprised of detectives and investigators from the Sparks Police Department, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Attorney General’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Megan Rachow prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or online at https://report.cybertip.org.

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Source: US FBI

RENO – A federal jury convicted a Reno man on Wednesday for assaulting a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon during the execution of an arrest warrant.

According to evidence presented at trial, on February 16, 2022, Matthew John Nason, 38, fired a handgun in the direction of a Deputy United States Marshal while the Deputy was attempting to serve a valid arrest warrant for Nason and his girlfriend at Nason’s residence.

Following a three-day trial, the jury found Nason guilty of one-count of assault of a federal officer with a dangerous weapon.

United States District Judge Miranda M. Du presided over the jury trial. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 4, 2025. Nason faces the maximum statutory penalty of 20 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.

The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Rachow and Randy St. Clair are prosecuting the case.

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Source: US FBI

LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey to 16 years and eight months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release for coercion and enticement, child sexual exploitation, and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

According to court documents, Kenton Hardy King (29) met a 15-year-old child through Omegle, an online chat platform. In June 2020, he coerced and enticed the victim to engage in sexual activity with him and to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing sexually explicit material. King possessed CSAM on two of his cell phones. He threatened to send images and video of the victim to the victim’s family, friends, and schoolmates.

In June 2024, following a five-day trial, a jury found King guilty of one count each of coercion and enticement; sexual exploitation of children; and possession of child pornography.

United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.

The FBI and the Henderson Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Steven Rose and Jean Ripley prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or https://report.cybertip.org.

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Source: US FBI

LAS VEGAS – United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Daniel R. Schiess will lead the efforts for the District of Nevada in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Schiess has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Nevada, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

United States Attorney Frierson said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).

United States Attorney Frierson stated that: “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Schiess will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers: 702-388-6336.”

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 702-385-1281.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.

United States Attorney Frierson said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”

Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

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