(a) A person is guilty of theft of electric, gas, water, steam, telecommunications, wireless radio communications or community antenna television service for profit or economic gain when he: (1) Engages in the business for profit or economic gain of tampering or making connection with the equipment of a supplier of an electric, gas, water, steam, telecommunications, wireless radio communications or community antenna television service which is not metered or otherwise measured, in whole or in part, without the consent of such supplier, for the purpose of supplying such service on one or more occasions to two or more households, or (2) engages in the business for profit or economic gain of offering for sale to any person other than the supplier of an electric, gas, water, steam, telecommunications, wireless radio communications or community antenna television service which is not metered or otherwise measured, in whole or in part, any decoder, descrambler or other device, the principal function of which defeats the electronic signal encryption jamming or individually addressed switching imposed by such supplier for the purpose of restricting the delivery of such service to persons who pay for such service, or (3) without the consent of the supplier of such service and with intent to defraud such supplier, engages in the business for profit or economic gain of connecting or disconnecting the meters, pipes, cables, conduits, conductors or attachments of such supplier or in any other manner tampers or connects with such meters, pipes, cables, conduits, conductors or attachments. There shall be a rebuttable presumption that a person is engaged in the business for profit or economic gain of offering for sale a decoder, descrambler or other device, equipment or component in violation of subdivision (2) of this subsection if such person has five or more decoders, descramblers or other devices in his possession or under his control.

(b) Theft of electric, gas, water, steam, telecommunications, wireless radio communications or community antenna television service for profit or economic gain is a class D felony.

(P.A. 84-496; P.A. 89-281, S. 2; P.A. 94-215, S. 1; P.A. 95-246, S. 2.)

History: P.A. 89-281 added theft of cable service and made provisions applicable to one engaging in business for economic gain in Subsecs. (a) and (b); P.A. 94-215 substituted “electric, gas, water, steam” for “utility” where appearing and amended Subsec. (a) to add “or other device” in Subdiv. (2), add Subdiv. (3) re connecting, disconnecting or tampering with the meters, pipes, cables, conduits, conductors or attachments of a supplier without the consent of such supplier and with intent to defraud such supplier, and add provision making it a rebuttable presumption that a person is engaged in the business for profit or economic gain of offering for sale a decoder, descrambler or other device if he has five or more decoders, descramblers or other devices in his possession or under his control; P.A. 95-246 included theft of “telecommunications” and “wireless radio communications” service and added “equipment or component” in provision re a rebuttable presumption.

See Sec. 52-570f re civil action and relief authorized for theft of service.