An Ipswich computer hacker who was jailed for stealing unreleased songs from artists such as Ed Sheeran has been ordered to pay back more than £100,000. 

Adrian Kwiatkowski was jailed for 18 months at Ipswich Crown Court in October 2022 after pleading guilty to offering songs from Sheeran, as well as rapper Lil Uzi Vert, in exchange for cryptocurrency on the dark web.

Kwiatkowski, 23, stole a total of 14 songs - two from Sheeran and 12 from Lil Uzi Vert - from their digital accounts, before selling them on the dark web.

His Apple Mac was searched, uncovering 565 audio files including the songs by Lil Uzi Vert and Sheeran.

Kwiatkowski, of Hampton Road in Ipswich, pleaded guilty to three charges of unauthorised access to computer material, 14 charges of making for sale an article infringing copyright, one charge of converting criminal property and two charges of possession of criminal property.

Ipswich Star: Adrian Kwiatowski stole two unreleased songs from Ed SheeranAdrian Kwiatowski stole two unreleased songs from Ed Sheeran (Image: City of London Police)

A confiscation order has now been made against Kwiatowski, giving him three months to pay £101,053.

The amount is made up of £51,975 held in a bank account owned by Kwiatkowski and 2.64 BTC (Bitcoin), worth £49,528, which makes it the first confiscation order of cryptocurrency secured by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU).

If the payment is failed to be made within three months, he will face a further 18 months imprisonment.

Detective Constable Daryl Fryatt, from PIPCU at City of London Police, said: “Kwiatkowski executed a complex scheme to sell creative content that he did not own.

“Not only did he cause several musicians and their production companies significant financial harm, he deprived them of the ability to release their own work.

“Our work doesn’t just stop at conviction, and this result means that Kwiatkowski will not be able to benefit any further from the money he earned through criminal activity.”