After a two-week trial, a federal jury in Las Vegas has convicted Yoany Vaillant, a Cuban citizen and U.S. permanent resident, for his role in operating an illegal streaming service known as Jetflicks. The service was notable for its vast collection of infringing works. Vaillant was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement and is the last of eight defendants to be convicted in this case.
Court documents and evidence revealed that Vaillant worked as a computer programmer for Jetflicks, an online subscription-based platform based in Las Vegas. The service allowed users to stream and sometimes download copyrighted television episodes without permission from the copyright owners. At its peak, Jetflicks claimed to offer 183,285 different television episodes, surpassing licensed services like Netflix and Hulu.
Vaillant joined Jetflicks with 15 years of programming experience and knowledge of 27 computer languages. During his four-and-a-half-month tenure at the company, he contributed significantly by resolving issues related to the automated downloading, processing, syncing, uploading, and streaming of infringing content.
The trial showed that Vaillant and his co-conspirators used automated software to find infringing television programs from pirate sites worldwide. They reproduced hundreds of thousands of copyrighted episodes without authorization and streamed them to tens of thousands of subscribers across the United States. This large-scale piracy impacted major copyright owners in the U.S., causing millions in losses to the television show and streaming industries.
Vaillant was among eight individuals indicted in 2019 in Virginia for their involvement with Jetflicks. His co-defendant Darryl Polo pleaded guilty to multiple counts related to both Jetflicks and another illegal streaming site he operated. Luis Villarino also pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to Jetflicks.
In February 2022, the case was moved to Nevada for trial where it was separated from other defendants: Kristopher Dallmann, Jared Jaurequi, Douglas Courson, Felipe Garcia, and Peter Huber. These individuals were tried last June; all were found guilty on various charges including conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement.
Sentencing for Dallmann, Courson, Garcia, Jaurequi, Huber, and Vaillant is scheduled for February 3rd and 4th next year. Sentences will be determined after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines among other factors.
The announcement was made by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri from the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for Nevada; and FBI Washington Field Office's Assistant Director David Sundberg.
The FBI Washington Field Office led the investigation with support from its Las Vegas counterpart. Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti along with Trial Attorney Michael Christin from the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime Section are prosecuting alongside Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Oliva for Nevada.