Minnesota Man Sentenced To Three Years In Prison For Scheme To Commit Computer Intrusion And To Illegally Stream Content From Four Major Professional Sports Leagues

Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOSHUA STREIT, a/k/a Josh Brody,” was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court by United States District Judge Andrew L. Carter for conducting intrusions into Major League Baseball (“MLB”) computer systems and illegally streaming copyrighted content from MLB, the National Basketball Association (the “NBA”), the National Football League (the “NFL”), and the National Hockey League (the “NHL”) on a website that STREIT operated, which offered the illegally streamed content to the public for profit.   

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “Joshua Streit intruded into MLB computer networks and illegally streamed sports content online from MLB, the NHL, the NBA, and the NFL for his own personal profit.  Today’s sentence shows that this crime is no game.  Those who compromise computer networks and steal copyrighted content will be held accountable.”

According to allegations in the Complaint, the Information, and statements made during court proceedings:

Beginning in or about 2017 to in or about August 2021, STREIT operated a website which streamed copyrighted content, primarily livestreamed games from major professional sports leagues, including MLB, the NBA, the NFL, and the NHL, which STREIT had no authorization to stream.  STREIT obtained the copyrighted content by gaining unauthorized access to the websites for those sports leagues via misappropriated login credentials from legitimate users of those websites.  One of the victim sports leagues sustained losses of approximately $3 million due to STREIT’s conduct.

In addition, at the same time STREIT was illicitly streaming copyrighted content from MLB, STREIT engaged in an attempt to extort approximately $150,000 from MLB via a threat from STREIT to publicize unrelated vulnerabilities in MLB’s internet infrastructure.  Specifically, in multiple communications with MLB employees, STREIT claimed that he knew MLB reporters who were “interested in the story,” and stated that it would be bad if the vulnerability were exposed and MLB was embarrassed.

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In addition to the prison sentence, STREIT, 31, of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $2,995,272.64 in restitution and $500,000 in forfeiture.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  He also thanked MLB, the NBA, the NFL, and the NHL for their ongoing support and assistance with the case.

The case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dina McLeod is in charge of the prosecution.