Rhode Island § 11-35-8 - Public Utilities

§ 11-35-8. Interference with electric meter.

Every person who shall willfully or fraudulently injure, or shall knowingly suffer to be injured, any meter, or any wire, fittings, or appliances connected with any meter belonging to any corporation furnishing electric current for light, heat, power, or other purposes at a stipulated rate of payment, or shall willfully tamper or meddle with any other of the appliances or appurtenances connected with any meter belonging to any corporation, in any manner as to cause loss or damage to the corporation, or who shall willfully or fraudulently prevent any meter used for registering the quantity of the electric current supplied through it from duly registering the quantity so passing through it or alter the index in the meter, or in any way hinder or interfere with its proper action or just registration, or shall fraudulently use the electric current of the corporation passing through the meter, wire, fittings, or other of the appliances or appurtenances connected with or belonging to the corporation, or willfully waste electric current, 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 meter, or any wire, fitting, appliance, or appurtenance connected with it, has been injured, or tampered, or meddled with, or that any meter has been prevented from duly registering the quantity of electric current supplied through it, while on the premises occupied by the defendant, shall be prima facie evidence that the defendant caused the injury or tampered or meddled with the meter, wire, fitting, appliance, or appurtenance, or prevented the meter from duly registering the quantity of electric current supplied through it, willfully and fraudulently and with intent to injure or defraud.