INDIANAPOLIS -- A man convicted of providing illegal cable television hookups will become a spokesman for the cable company from which he stole.
Dennis Cheatem, of Indianapolis, has agreed to appear in infomercials for Bright House Networks to discuss the consequences of stealing cable, said Al Aldridge, a spokesman for the company.
Cheatem, 47, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one felony count of theft and was fined $10,000. The fine could be cut in half if he successfully completes one year in a minimum-security prison and performs community service, said Roger Rayl, a spokesman for the Marion County prosecutor's office.
Authorities said Cheatem, a licensed plumber, bought a used cable company repair van last year and posed as a Bright House employee. Prosecutors say Cheatem claimed to provide cable to needy families but instead pocketed the money in at least one case.
Cheatem was arrested in April after he approached an undercover officer with an offer of free cable.