(a) No person shall knowingly interfere with, destroy, injure, remove, disconnect, change, alter or tamper with, in any manner or form, any meter used for metering or recording water, gas or electricity furnished by the City of Bedford or any public utility, or any attachment or appurtenances to such meter or any lock or seal used for the purpose of locking the unions that connect such meters to water service pipes or gas or electric service lines, or any lock or seal attached and affixed to such meters or appurtenances, or pipes or lines leading thereto or connecting therewith, without permission in writing from the City of Bedford or the public utility.
(b) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor misdemeanor. If the offender previously has been convicted of a violation of this section, then a subsequent violation of this section is a misdemeanor of the third (3rd) degree and, in addition, the court shall impose upon the offender a fine of not less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00).