Update: 'Omi in a Hellcat' Speaks Out Following Arrest in Federal Piracy Case

Update 09/26/2021 1:02pm:

Previously, it was reported that YouTuber Omi in a Hellcat was arrested by the feds and charged with conspiracy, violating the DMCA act, access device fraud, and more. Prosecutors are saying Omi must forfeit almost $35 million in assets. Now, Omi has spoken out following his now-viral arrest.

The New Jersey resident spoke on his arrest by FBI agents to Fox29 and said, “I don’t think I ever did anything wrong. Obviously, I was running businesses wide open in the public. Now, we are going to have our day in court.” When asked if he was “completely innocent” of the charges brought against him, Omi said, “Not completely innocent would be a false statement. Ignorance is no excuse for the law." Omi then said his movements fell into a “grey area,” saying, “There are other colleagues in the same business I was in, and they never got in trouble with the FBI.” Take a look above.

source: Fox29

Original 09/23/2021 11:11am:

YouTuber Omi in a Hellcat is facing 514 years in prison after federal prosecutors say he and two of his associates were involved in a scheme where they illegally sold copyrighted video content to thousands of subscribers on Omi's online service, which has gone by several names, including Reboot, Gears TV, Reloaded and Gears Reloaded. Prosecutors allege that the scheme netted Omi and his associates $30 million from March 2016 until at least November 2019. 

Omi, real name Bill Omar Carrasquillo, has been charged with conspiracy, violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, reproduction of a protected work, access device fraud, making false statements to a bank and money laundering.

Prosecutors say Omi and his two associates, Jesse Gonzales, 42, of Pico Rivera, Calif., and Michael Barone, 36, of Richmond Hill, N.Y., must forfeit nearly $35 million in assets, including over 50 cars and motorcycles, as well as dozens of properties in Philadelphia. 

Omi's lawyer, Donte Mills, addressed the charges, stating that his client is being falsely accused, "Mr. Carrasquillo tapped into a brand-new, unregulated industry and was very successful. Most people are called pioneers when they do that; Omar is called a criminal. The government assumes my client was not smart enough to do this legally because of his background. He is and we will prove that."