Dan Penteado, a former presenter on the BBC consumer show Rogue Traders, has been sentenced to 12 weeks in prison for fraudulently claiming over £24,000 in benefits. The 40-year-old, from Westbourne in Bournemouth, admitted eight counts of dishonestly claiming council tax and housing benefits over a four-year period while earning more than £55,000 from the BBC.
Penteado, who appeared on the show from 2001, was caught after a council officer recognised him from television. He left the programme in 2007 and began claiming benefits while studying at Bournemouth University. In March 2008, the BBC offered him short-term contracts, but he continued to claim benefits due to the uncertainty of work, according to his solicitor Terrence Scanlan.
Scanlan told Bournemouth magistrates that Penteado was not living extravagantly but was 'sinking in debt' and owed £20,000. He added that the former presenter had lost his 'burgeoning career in broadcasting', which was a significant punishment in itself.
The chairman of the bench, John Corben, described the fraud as a 'planned and calculated' crime over four years, stating it was 'stealing from the public purse'. Penteado, dressed in a black suit, was led to the cells by security guards.
Councillor David Smith of Bournemouth Borough Council said the amount stolen was 'truly shocking' and emphasised that the council would not tolerate benefit fraud. A BBC spokesman confirmed that Penteado is not currently under contract and will not return to Rogue Traders.
