Telford salesman jailed for satellite box eBay scam
A salesman from Telford who sold illegal satellite television boxes on eBay was jailed this afternoon.
Ronald Bladen, 52, of Park Lane Avenue, in Madeley, made £2,000 from selling 20 boxes between March 1 and November 7 last year, a court heard.
But his scam was discovered by officials at BSkyB who carried out an investigation over several months.
He admitted selling the boxes, which were loaded with illegal software, when he appeared at Telford Magistrates Court this afternoon.
Bladen was sentenced to serve eight weeks in jail for breaching a suspended sentence and four weeks for fraud by false representation, to run consecutively.
He was also given two weeks in prison for failure to surrender to run concurrently.
Mrs Becky Jones, prosecuting, said that Bladen was arrested after BSkyB officials alerted police in Madeley.
Officers who searched the house found a number of set top boxes.
Mr James Wade, for Bladen, said that his client had been in need of money and had only actually made £500.
