Canadian Busted
|
Gold Member Username: RunnerguyPluto Post Number: 1488 Registered: Sep-06 | Canadian Citizen charged in Texas // 2008-07-15 (HOUSTON, Texas) - Garr Thickens, 56, has pleaded guilty to one count of the illegal manufacture, distribution and possession of unlawful wire, oral or electronic communication devices, United States Attorney Don DeGabrielle announced today. Thickens, a Canadian citizen, was arrested by Secret Service agents in January 2008 and will remain in the U.S. while on bond pending his sentencing. Commercial satellite television programs are broadcast by the satellite television service providers in an encrypted format only allowing a customer to view the programming if they have a signal decoder box and the proper un-encryption codes installed. Legitimate satellite television customers must open an account with a satellite television provider in order to obtain satellite television decoder boxes. Customers must also pay a monthly subscription fee to the satellite television provider for their satellite television programming as well as pay separately for each "pay-per-view" television event, such a movies, concerts and sporting events. Thickens, a Canadian citizen who spent the winter months of the last several years in a trailer park in Port Aransas, Texas, was apprehended following a two-year Secret Service investigation. Thickens was a major North American distributor of a particular type of satellite decoder device called Dreamboxes. These Dreamboxes contained un-encryption codes that allowed persons who bought the decoder devices to illegally obtain satellite television programs, including pay-per-view events, from providers such as Direct TV and Dish Network without having a satellite television account or paying any fees for the programming. Undercover Secret Service agents purchased at least three of the satellite decoder devices from websites operated by Thickens who then provided the agents with the un-encryption codes for the devices. This allowed the agents to obtain satellite television programming and pay-per-view events without having a satellite television account or paying for the programming. Satellite television service providers change their encryption codes periodically for security reasons. Thickens provided the new un-encryption codes to all his customers, including the undercover Secret Service agents, who were also his customers. Thickens also sold the undercover Secret Service agent a newer and more electronically sophisticated satellite television decoder box that would automatically download and install its own un-encryption codes directly from surreptitious sites on the internet. A federal search warrant was executed on Thickens trailer home in Port Aransas in January 2008 and found that Thickens had his own satellite television decoder box installed in his home along with the un-encryption codes that allowed him to watch satellite television programming without paying for it. Thickens also sold and set up another satellite decoder box system for a fellow resident of the trailer park, which was also recovered from that person. As additional supply of unsold decoder boxes was found in Thickens' trailer, Thickens was arrested on these charges following completion of the search. Evidence presented to the court during the guilty plea hearing revealed Thickens sold more than 4,000 satellite television decoder boxes along with un-encryption codes over the last few years, at prices from $289 to $699 each. Thickens will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore on Nov. 11, 2008 and faces a maximum term of imprisonment of up to five years imprisonment, plus a fine of up to $250,000 and a maximum term of three years of post-imprisonment supervised release. The crime was investigated by the Houston office of the U.S. Secret Service, with technical assistance from satellite television industry investigators. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mike Schultz. Source: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/txs/releases/July%202008/071408Thickens_print.htm |
|
Gold Member Username: DoreenakadjOntario Canada Post Number: 1729 Registered: Dec-06 | YOU CAN BUY A "DREAM BOX" OR ANY "Other" FTA RECEIVER THAT'S NOT ILLEGAL!!!!!Anyone can buy an fta receiver. True FTA (free to air )signals are free to get anywhere in the world. If you use curtain softwares such as in this case for a dream box, "satellite television decoder box", open cam , Dreamup universal loader or if you use a key master." That is illegal and so is the bin files that you use to "ALTER " the receiver. (if they have a signal decoder box and the proper un-encryption codes installed) to obtain PPV OR SPORTS EVENTS ETC...this is all illegal to ALTER an FTA RECEIVER . NOT JUST SELLING THEM!!! If a DEALER which this guy was, gets caught then he is arrested. The (end user) like the people mentioned in the trailer park will also get a "fine" but I am not sure if they get arrested (YET). This part I don't understand has pleaded guilty to one count of the and (possession of unlawful wire, oral or electronic communication devices") I still say IT'S NOT ILLEGAL TO OWN OR BUY AN FTA RECEIVER!!! IN OTHER WORDS HE GOT ARRESTED FOR ALTERING THE RECEIVER ONLY" |
|
New member Username: The_choosen_oneMAY FTA LIVE FOREVER Post Number: 1 Registered: Jul-08 | buying a fta unit is not illegal,but altering it or modifying it to receive programming is illegal. |
|
New member Username: JustforhahasPost Number: 4 Registered: Jul-08 | The Dreambox is not your typical STB receiver. It uses card sharing and the internet, similiar to IKS, in some ways. So I can understand why he "pleaded guilty to one count of the illegal manufacture, distribution and possession of unlawful wire, oral or electronic communication device". Especially since they were sold, modified, and working at his own home, and also if he also had any dongle devices for IKS, IKS receivers, and any iso programmers. People with IKS and dongles, should pay close attention to this, since IKS was designed based on Dreambox original ideas, and performs self updating of illegal codes which modifies the receiver. |
|
Bronze Member Username: Pdee333Post Number: 64 Registered: Nov-07 | The lesson in all this is: don't live in the USA.. why would anyone want to live in that nasty place? beyond me... |
|
Silver Member Username: Koko_wawaPost Number: 333 Registered: Aug-07 | Was he Thickens or sickens? No one under this name deals with any sat receivers. Hoooax |
|
Silver Member Username: CntrlaltdelPost Number: 249 Registered: Nov-06 | Yeah, why would anyone want to live there... hell if I lived there I wouldn't have to hack Dish, I could pay for it, instead I remain in cold communist Canada where the government tells you what channels you can watch and on what satellite system!!! brian = FN' IDIOT!! |
|
Platinum Member Username: NydasPost Number: 11188 Registered: Jun-06 | karkour kaka: "zulu" is not the sort of person who posts false information. zulu has also provided the US government URL for you to read. |
|
Gold Member Username: DoreenakadjOntario Canada Post Number: 1730 Registered: Dec-06 | Selling the units from his home/trailer was OK. But selling the programs to alter them was dumb. Why not just direct people to E-BAY or some other place over the INTERNET and they could get the programing, wires etc... themselves? Would he have gotten arrested for that? I could sell people manurer. Thats not illegal. But if they chose to build a bomb out of it , it not my fault. The point is, it's not what you buy but what you do with it. A receiver on its own is just a box ( doorstop ) Once you set it up with your INTERNET etc.. you now have "Free TO AIR" TV. But if you add more to it like say a "Dream up universal loader" programming it with "HACKED BINS" etc...in this case to receive PPV and SPORTS channel and or the adult channels for FREE then you will get in trouble. and arrested etc... |
|
Gold Member Username: Saqeeb9000Post Number: 3534 Registered: Oct-07 | hi doreen i know a canadian dealer who has written (inside of his shop) in big words.. we only program dishnetwork reciever? can he get busted for that? iks........this is scary news.. but the thing is then nfusion dealer's can also get busted.. |
|
Gold Member Username: DoreenakadjOntario Canada Post Number: 1731 Registered: Dec-06 | If the dealer, Canadian or not advertises anything about "PROGRAMING" Dishnet or any other package, he is an idiot and breaking the law in Canada or anywhere in the world UNLESS otherwise owned by Dishnet or Bell ExpressVU. etc... Plain and simple. What is ILLEGAL......  YOU GET ARRESTED FOR PROGRAMING / ALTERING (the rom card). ALTERING (the keys), JTAGING (the inside of receivers) or USE OF A LOADER (to change/receive Bins) for UNPAID PROGRAMS/packages!!!!! Like I said b4... Selling receivers is LEGAL! ONLY if receiving FREE TO AIR PROGRAMING! |
|
Gold Member Username: DoreenakadjOntario Canada Post Number: 1732 Registered: Dec-06 | BTW I am not well informed on IKS, Dongles or Infusion receivers, but I do understand that they are modified through the internet to the receiver via some sort of software to get channels. Either way... Its ILLEGAL unless you pay the Dishnet or BELL providers to receive a certon package of your choice to abtain PPV or any other non local channels etc...other than FREE TO AIR progaming!!! |
Main Forums
Today's Posts- Home Audio Forum
- Home Video Forum
- Home Theater Forum
- Car Audio Forum
- Accessories Forum
- All Forum Topics