Rhode Island § 11-35-25 - Public Utilities

§ 11-35-25. Fraudulent communication devices.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully make, manufacture, assemble, possess, possess with intent to sell, sell, give, or otherwise transfer to another, or offer or place in any newspaper, magazine, handbill, or other publication any advertisement to sell, give, or otherwise transfer to another or purchase or in any other manner obtain, receive, or conceal any electronic, mechanical, or other device, instrument, apparatus, or equipment, or plans, specifications, instructions, or other information for making, manufacturing, assembling, or using any device, instrument, apparatus, or other equipment or to publish any plans, specifications, instructions, or other information with intent to use it or know or have reason to know that it is intended to be used or that its design renders it primarily useful to obtain any communication or community antenna television service from a company providing that service, by rearranging, tampering with, or making any unauthorized connection, whether physically, electronically, acoustically, inductively, or otherwise to any telephone or community antenna television instrument, equipment, or facility of any company, to avoid the payment, in whole or in part, of the lawful charge for the communication or community antenna television service or to conceal from any company or from lawful authority the existence or place of origin or termination of any communication, or by using any communication or community antenna television service knowing or having reason to know that the rearrangement, tampering, or connection existed at the time of use.

(b) Any person who is convicted of willfully making, manufacturing, assembling, or possessing with the intent to sell, or who sells, gives or otherwise transfers to another, or offers or places in any newspaper, magazine, handbill, or other publication any advertisement to sell, or give, or otherwise transfers to another any devices and/or instruments as described in this section shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction, may be imprisoned for not more than three (3) years, or fined not more than three thousand dollars ($3,000), or both.

(c) Any person who is convicted of having possession of any devices, instruments and/or plans as described in this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, may, except as provided in this section, be imprisoned for not more than one year, or fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500), or both; provided, that any person who is convicted of having possession of any devices, instruments, and/or plans relative to a community antenna television system or instruments, equipment or facilities in connection with it as described in this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, may be fined up to one thousand dollars ($1,000).