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Following an investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, five people have been charged with distributing pirate IPTV services. RCMP officers raided GaloTV (Soltv) in 2021, seizing hundreds of set-top boxes, receivers and streaming devices. One of the men has already been sued by DISH and has agreed to settle a civil lawsuit for over half a billion dollars.
The world of pirate streaming and IPTV services is a world of intrigue. Like the Internet itself, it is a web of interconnected networks populated by devices, ad hoc groups, and individuals that may appear in one place, only to appear in another.
The case of IPTV hacker entrepreneur Carlos Rocha certainly fits the profile. In December 2020, US broadcaster DISH Network and technology partner Nagrastar filed a sealed civil suit in the US, naming Carlos Rocha plus SolTV and Stream Solutions, a pair of well-known IPTV brands operated by the Toronto resident.
Rocha also had ties to SET TV, a provider that collapsed under the weight of a $90 million judgment in the United States. It also sold subscriptions to several other IPTV services, some of which have since gone down or are close to a service that did.
Although he has a civil suit to consider over Christmas lunch in 2020, what Rocha probably didn’t know was that he was also under criminal investigation in Canada.
RCMP Cybercrime Enforcement Team Launches “Project OLoki”
In January 2020, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police cybercrime team launched “Project OLoki”, an investigation targeting a group of individuals running what police describe as a “large scale” illegal IPTV distribution service.
With the separate civil lawsuit in the United States only six months old, on June 29, 2021, the RCMP Cybercrime Team executed a search warrant at a GaloTV retail outlet, also known as name of Soltv – the IPTV brand referenced in the DISH complaint.
“The search warrant resulted in the seizure of a large number of decoders (used to decode and decrypt video signals) and hundreds of television receivers and equipment used to rebroadcast video signals,” reads a new release from the RCMP.
Local business directories and DISH’s complaint show that GaloTV/Soltv had a modest retail unit at 455 Rogers Road, Toronto.
The RCMP believe the group targeted by “Project OLoki” purchased legitimate access to TV content from multiple companies and then redistributed it to the public at a “considerable discount”.
It took more than a year, but police say several people have now been charged with offenses related to illegally obtaining and distributing unlicensed content.
Five people from Toronto
A statement from the RCMP O Division (Ontario) reveals that five people, all from Toronto, have been charged with the same offences, albeit to varying degrees, under the Criminal Code of Canada.
Manuel Da Rocha (67 years old): Fraud over CAN$5,000 X 2 – Section 380(1)(a); Theft of telecommunications services – section 326. Selling or distributing a device to obtain a telecommunications service without payment of a legitimate charge – section 327(1)
Carlos Da Rocha (29 years old): Fraud over CAN$5,000 X 2 – Section 380(1)(a); Theft of telecommunications services – section 326. Selling or distributing a device to obtain a telecommunications service without payment of a legitimate charge – section 327(1)
Carla Da Rocha (29 years old): Fraud over CAN$5,000 – section 380(1)(a); Theft of telecommunications services – section 326. Selling or distributing a device to obtain a telecommunications service without payment of a legitimate charge – section 327(1)
Carlos Lopes (48 years old): Fraud over CAN$5,000 X 2 – Section 380(1)(a); Theft of telecommunications services – section 326. Selling or distributing a device to obtain a telecommunications service without payment of a legitimate charge – section 327(1)
Elvis Da Rocha (37 years old): Fraud over CAN$5,000 – section 380(1)(a); Theft of telecommunications services – section 326. Selling or distributing a device to obtain a telecommunications service without payment of a legitimate charge – section 327(1)
Under the Criminal Code of Canada, paragraph 380(1)(a) carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. Section 327 carries a maximum prison sentence of two years.
“This investigation is an excellent example of the RCMP’s commitment to keeping our communities safe by effectively disrupting cyber and economic crime,” said Inspector Lina Dabit, Officer in Charge of the Investigation Team O Division cybercrime.
All five will appear in Toronto-North Ontario Court of Justice later today.
In May 2022, Carlos Rocha and DISH agreed to settle their differences after the Toronto man signed a US$585 million settlement judgment.
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