HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia RCMP has charged a pair of Bedford, N.S., residents with pirating copyrighted television programming in connection with a federal investigation into piracy called ‘Operation Hotwire’.

In June 2019, the Nova Scotia RCMP’s Federal Serious and Organized Crime (FSOC) division began an investigation after receiving a complaint from a telecommunications company of an individual streaming large amounts of television programming for profit.

The unnamed telecommunications company filed the complaint after it conducted a lengthy internal investigation.

On Aug. 14, 2019, officers searched a home on Shore Drive in Bedford, and seized electronic equipment and financial documents. A 35-year-old man from Bedford was arrested at the home without incident and later released from police custody.

On Aug. 13, 2020, the RCMP FSOC division filed charges against two individuals in Bedford. A restraint order and special search warrant were issued on Sept. 3.

On Sept. 9, 14 properties were restrained, including two houses and 12 plots of land. Two vehicles were seized.

On Sept. 1, the Nova Scotia RCMP FSOC laid 25 copyright-related charges against two people.

Riad Thomeh, 36, from Bedford has been charged with:

  • Possession of a device to obtain use of telecommunication facility or service
  • Laundering the proceeds of crime
  • 18 counts of possession of property obtained by crime
  • Distribute copyrighted material – Copyright Act
  • Re-transmit encrypted programming signal – Radiocommunication Act
  • Decode encrypted programming signal – Radiocommunication Act

Kayla Thomeh, 33, from Bedford, has been charged with:

  • Laundering the proceeds of crime
  • Possession of property obtained by crime

Three companies operated by Riad and Kayla Thomeh are also facing 44 charges, including possession of a device to obtain use of telecommunication facility or service, laundering the proceeds of crime and possession of property obtained by crime, as well as charges under the Copyright Act and the Radiocommunication Act.

Infringement of Canada’s Copyright Act is a federal offence. Maximum penalties are a five-year sentence, a $1-million fine, or both.