§ 11-35-9. Bypassing electric meter - Use of electricity with intent to defraud. Every person who, with intent to injure or defraud any person, persons, association, or corporation generating, conducting, using, or supplying the electric current, either for the purposes of his, her, its or their own business or for the purpose of selling the electric current at a stipulated rate of payment, shall make or cause to be made any wire or other instrument or contrivance and connect it or cause it to be connected with any electric wire, appliance, apparatus or appurtenance used for or in connection with the wires or apparatus employed for generating, conducting, using, or supplying electric current, in any manner that is calculated either to waste and dissipate the electric current or to supply the electric current to any lamp, burner, heater, machine, motor or other apparatus or appliance whatsoever, without the electric current passing through a meter provided by the person, persons, association, or corporation and used for registering the quantity so passing through, or without the consent of the person, persons, association, or corporation to the connections, or who shall otherwise use any electric current with the intent to defraud the person, persons, association or corporation of payment, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be imprisoned not exceeding thirty (30) days or be fined not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500). In any prosecution under this section proof that any of the acts specified in this section was done on or about the premises occupied by the defendant, or proof of the presence on or about the premises of any wire or other instrument or contrivance which effects the waste or dissipation or the diversion of electric current without the electric current being measured or registered by a meter provided for it or without the consent of the person, persons, association, or corporation, shall be prima facie evidence that the defendant committed the acts, or aided or abetted in their commission, maliciously and with intent to injure or defraud.
History of Section. (G.L. 1896, ch. 279, § 60; G.L. 1909, ch. 345, § 67; G.L. 1923, ch. 397, § 67; G.L. 1938, ch. 608, § 60; P.L. 1940, ch. 948, § 2; G.L. 1956, § 11-35-9.)
Copyright ©2024 LegalFix. All rights reserved. LegalFix is not a law firm, is not licensed to practice law, and does not provide legal advice, services, or representation. The information on this website is an overview of the legal plans you can purchase—or that may be provided by your employer as an employee benefit or by your credit union or other membership group as a membership benefit.
LegalFix provides its members with easy access to affordable legal services through a network of independent law firms. LegalFix, its corporate entity, and its officers, directors, employees, agents, and contractors do not provide legal advice, services, or representation—directly or indirectly.
The articles and information on the site are not legal advice and should not be relied upon—they are for information purposes only. You should become a LegalFix member to get legal services from one of our network law firms.
You should not disclose confidential or potentially incriminating information to LegalFix—you should only communicate such information to your network law firm.
The benefits and legal services described in the LegalFix legal plans are not always available in all states or with all plans. See the legal plan Benefit Overview and the more comprehensive legal plan contract during checkout for coverage details in your state.
Use of this website, the purchase of legal plans, and access to the LegalFix networks of law firms are subject to the LegalFix Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.