Jailbroken: A True Story of Corporate Overreach, Police Abuse of Power, and Modern Technology

Luis G. Vazquez

JAILBROKEN

A TRUE STORY OF CORPORATE GREED, POLICE ABUSE OF POWER, AND MODERN TECHNOLOGY

First published by 2PK PUBLISHING 2024

Copyright © 2024 by Luis G. Vazquez

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

Luis G. Vazquez has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book.

The views and opinions expressed in this book are those of the author and are based on publicly available information and personal experiences. They are presented in good faith and with no intent to harm or defame any individuals, organizations, or corporations mentioned. All information has been fact-checked and sources are cited where possible.

The author and publisher are not responsible for any actions taken by readers in response to the content of this book. Readers should seek legal advice before making any decisions based on the material contained within. The author does not intend to provide legal, financial, or professional advice through this book.

The conversations and interactions described in this book are based on the author’s best recollection of events. While every effort has been made to convey these interactions accurately, memory is inherently subjective, and some details may have been unintentionally altered or omitted. The author does not claim that the conversations are verbatim but represents them in good faith as they were understood at the time.

Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.

First edition

ISBN: 979-8-9902834-0-4

This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy

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This book, a testament to the resilience and spirit of those who’ve journeyed with me, is dedicated with profound gratitude and love to Maria Valerio-Vazquez, my steadfast companion in life’s voyage. Your presence has been a beacon of strength and resilience through every trial and triumph we’ve encountered as one unit. Te amo mi corazon.

Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.

— Mike Tyson

Contents

Introduction

I. UPHEAVAL

1. THE RAID

2. LONG RIDE

3. PROVIDE OR DIE

4. THE SWAP MEET

5. TECH PIRATE: ALLEGATIONS

6. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PUBLIC ATTACK

7. PRESUMPTION OF GUILT

8. FIRST DAY BACK

9. THE CONCERNED CITIZEN

10. LOCAST VS. THE GOLIATH’S

II. BLACK AND WHITE

11. THE FIASCO

12. PROTECTING LAWFUL STREAMING

13. SELF INFLICTED

14. MUSIC WARS

15. ANXIETY

16. CHRISTMAS OUT ON BAIL

17. THE LAWYER: FIRST ENCOUNTER

III. DISCOVERY

18. SPECTRUM VS DISNEY: SHOWDOWN

19. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

20. JAIL-BROKEN 101: A WORLD OF MISINFORMATION

21. THE CARTELS: PAIN WRAPPED IN SATIRE

22. THE LAWYER: FINAL ENCOUNTER

23. HOMICIDE, FORGERY, & GROSS NEGLIGENCE

24. DISMISSED

25. MOVING FORWARD

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

About the Author

Introduction

It is not my intent to portray myself as a victim. I am far from perfect. I’m just an average American, with the same amount of debt and ever-increasing bills as the rest of us. As the head of the household for a family of four, the grind to keep our ship afloat is always my priority. I’ve come to realize that the American dream is just that, a dream. I’ve been at it nonstop since the age of 17 when I left high school and dove into the job market. The waking reality is that you’re either in the 99% of us who fight daily to provide or you’ve found a way to build wealth, placing you at the head of the race. For those that have, more power to you! You’ve made it out of the Matrix. But the reality most of us face comes with ultra long work weeks, barely spending time with our spouse, and only seeing our children when you’re already too tired to play. For peanuts.

Jail-broken is a true story, written from my perspective, about how mega-powerful entities not only do not care about the little guy, they will go out of their way to destroy him. Seemingly producing human examples of what will happen to you if you follow in the last guy’s footsteps, they instill fear and confusion in the rest of us, warranted or not. The events that take place here began with an undercover operation and ended in what felt like a public attack on the rights of those accused of this felony crime. I was criminally charged for reselling unauthorized Android streaming devices with the intent to defraud a cable operator and for teaching others how to do the same. Had the event only cost time, financial strain, and the difficulties that come with defending yourself, this book would have stayed as my private memories of past wrongs. However, what took place felt like the farthest thing from a typical arrest for running afoul of any law. As far as I’m concerned, the events and actions detailed in this tech crime story should have been questioned at their inception, long before any undercover investigations took flight in my Florida county.

While I may personally feel that what transpired was part of a fear campaign involving a lot more than a complaint from an anonymous concerned citizen, it is ultimately for you to decide if you believe the same to be true. Post-arrest, I requested my discovery evidence and combed through it—approximately 50 pages thick—and was at a loss for words reading about what appeared to me like drug bust-type sting tactics used to build a case on resellers of alleged jail-broken Amazon Fire Sticks. I believe wholeheartedly that this operation has major ramifications for anyone who streams media, side-loads apps, or dares to resell a streaming device they have optimized for someone looking for the latest free advancements in streaming. With recently introduced federal laws, such as the Protecting Lawful Streaming Act, enacted in December 2020, purportedly aimed at criminal organizations and not end users, I believe we are entering an era where misinterpretation of the law is inevitable. Much like the War on Drugs, where confusion, misapplication, and at times unethical actions by enforcement agencies have led to the arrest and conviction of many innocent people, we will soon see the unintended consequences in the realm of streaming.

I lived, fought, and tried to rebuild after these events. I do not, and would not, embellish what took place. It was right there for the world to see. Besides, there is simply no need to. The truth of it is wild enough.

While I was charged with a seemingly obscure Florida State Statute, a 3rd-degree felony, for reselling jail-broken Amazon Fire Sticks as a flea market vendor in Polk County, Florida, it was hard to imagine that the result could have led to prison. Florida prisons are statistically known to be some of the most violent places in the nation. Even one year locked behind those walls would scar anyone for life. While some readers, based on what was alleged publicly, may feel that I or anyone else who resold Android streaming devices should be thrown in prison, I would challenge them to read up on what that truly means and how we’ve been conditioned to believe that this behavior is in a gray area of legality. The truth in my case couldn’t be further from that. My mission was to help people understand that there were legal options available with an internet connection as the only requirement—that didn’t include cable package bills from the conglomerates who rake in billions from the little guy annually.

My story is an inside look not only at the events that took place before, during, and after the raids, but at the damage that occurs within the human psyche when you go from a nameless pawn to internet infamy overnight. I write this book not only to add my voice to the public narrative created about me but to help or inspire anyone out there who may be going through the crushing weight of a publicized crisis. Whether civil or criminal, workplace event or family matter, public relations or private citizen, if this is you, my hope is you find instances in my story that will bring you peace and solace when you most need it.

Never in my state’s history (and possibly American history), from what I’ve been able to find, have we had a case with these sorts of factors: these felony charges, a post-arrest press conference, public release of audio and video files of alleged thieves in action to the media, confusion among the public—all while purportedly being about taking down alleged resellers of jail-broken streaming devices. Never have I heard of a case where a defendant was recorded and videotaped, investigated by detectives, raided by multiple undercover police officers, and paraded in front of the media by the same people who are supposed to protect our constitutional rights. And for what? That is for you to decide.

I

UPHEAVAL

1

THE RAID

Work enough flea markets, and you’re going to see a lot of weird things. It comes with the territory in places that draw such a wide range of vendors and customers. You’ll get the occasional chase through the booths as a shoplifter tries to make a valiant escape back to their vehicle. They quickly realize that it’s not just a race of them versus the shopkeeper, but them versus everybody . Even if we don’t know each other, we live by a certain code. Merchants protect merchants. If you think you can steal from one of us, chances are you think you can steal from all of us. We work too hard to let that sort of crap slide.

Occasionally, you’ll see a couple of merchants square up to each other and get ready for a fistfight, usually over how close their booths are together, or somebody using someone else’s