§ 11-35-9 - Bypassing electric meter – Use of electricity with intent to defraud. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 11-35-9

   § 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 theelectric current, either for the purposes of his, her, its or their ownbusiness or for the purpose of selling the electric current at a stipulatedrate of payment, shall make or cause to be made any wire or other instrument orcontrivance and connect it or cause it to be connected with any electric wire,appliance, apparatus or appurtenance used for or in connection with the wiresor apparatus employed for generating, conducting, using, or supplying electriccurrent, in any manner that is calculated either to waste and dissipate theelectric current or to supply the electric current to any lamp, burner, heater,machine, motor or other apparatus or appliance whatsoever, without the electriccurrent passing through a meter provided by the person, persons, association,or corporation and used for registering the quantity so passing through, orwithout the consent of the person, persons, association, or corporation to theconnections, or who shall otherwise use any electric current with the intent todefraud the person, persons, association or corporation of payment, shall bedeemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be imprisoned not exceeding thirty(30) days or be fined not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500). In anyprosecution under this section proof that any of the acts specified in thissection was done on or about the premises occupied by the defendant, or proofof the presence on or about the premises of any wire or other instrument orcontrivance which effects the waste or dissipation or the diversion of electriccurrent without the electric current being measured or registered by a meterprovided for it or without the consent of the person, persons, association, orcorporation, shall be prima facie evidence that the defendant committed theacts, or aided or abetted in their commission, maliciously and with intent toinjure or defraud.