Washed-up Biggest Loser star ‘Adro’ is revealed to be bankrupt as he’s caught up in fraud scandal involving his late mother’s inheritance
- Biggest Loser contestant Adriano Sarnelli has breached terms of his bankruptcy
- Sarnelli was declared bankrupt with debts of $280,000 in February 2015
- In November 2017, he hid his $33,000 inheritance from his late mother’s estate
- Sarnelli refused to disclose identity of the friend he’d asked to hang on to money
- He was sentenced to jail, but released immediately, put on good behaviour bond
Biggest Loser contestant Adriano ‘Adro’ Sarnelli has narrowly avoided jail after breaching the terms of his bankruptcy.
Sarnelli won the first season of the reality weight loss show in 2008 and used the $200,000 prize to open a weight loss centre in Melbourne.
The centre closed in 2014, and Sarnelli became bankrupt on February 12, 2015 after accruing debts of about $280,000.
In November 2017, he received an inheritance of nearly $33,000 from his late mother’s estate, but tried to hide it in a friend’s bank account, instead of using the money to pay back his creditors.
Adriano ‘Adro’ Sarnelli has narrowly avoided a jail sentence after breaching the conditions of his bankruptcy
Sarnelli received nearly $33,000 from his late mother’s (pictured) estate in 2017, and had the money directed to a friend’s bank account
When his trustee asked for the identity of the friend, Sarnelli refused to tell, a statement from the Australian Financial Security Authority said.
The personal trainer was charged with not fully disclosing property he received during bankruptcy to his trustee.
He was also charged with concealing, removing or disposing of that property and failing to disclose the identity of the person he gave the property to.
The new charges came just months after Sarnelli was handed a 12-month good behaviour bond with a $2,000 surety for racking up credit card charges of more than $8,000 within two years of becoming bankrupt.
His more recent offences breached that bond, and he lost the surety.
Sarnelli failed to tell the trustee about the money and refused to divulge where it was
After winning the first season of The Biggest Loser in 2008, Sarnelli used his $200,000 prize to open a weight loss centre in Melbourne. The centre closed in 2014 and the reality show contestant was declared bankrupt in early 2015
Sarnelli pleaded guilty to the charges relating to his mother’s estate, and was sentenced to four months prison for each charge, to be served concurrently.
Magistrate Simpson told the court bankruptcy only worked where creditors still received funds when they became available.
As the former reality star had offended just four months after facing court on the credit card charges, the Magistrate said he did not accept Sarnelli was unaware of his obligations.
Sarnelli was released immediately from his prison sentence, and he was instead placed on a $1,000 good behaviour bond for three years, and ordered to pay costs of $199.10.
The trustee has lodged an objection to Mr Sarnelli’s automatic discharge from bankruptcy and has extended the expiry date to 6 March 2023.
He was sentenced to prison, but immediately released and put on a good behaviour bond (pictured is Sarnelli before his time on The Biggest Loser and after)