(A) A person commits the offense of unlawful interference with public utility services when he knowingly, without the consent of the owner of the services, impairs or interrupts any public water, gas or power supply, telecommunications service, or other public services, or diverts, or causes to be diverted in whole or in part, any public water, gas or power supply, telecommunications service or other public services, or installs or removes any device for the purpose of such diversion.
(B) The terms
PUBLIC WATER, GAS OR POWER SUPPLY, OR OTHER PUBLIC SERVICE mean any service subject to regulation by the Illinois Commerce Commission, any service furnished by a public utility that is owned and operated by any political subdivision, public institution of higher education, or municipal corporation of this state; any service furnished by any public utility that is owned by such political subdivision, public institution of higher education, or municipal corporation and operated by any of its lessees or operating agents; and any service furnished by an electric cooperative as defined in the Electric Supplier Act, ILCS Ch. 220, Act 30, § 3.4.
(C) Any instrument, apparatus, or device used in obtaining utility services without paying the full charge therefor or any meter that has been altered, tampered with, or bypassed so as to cause a lack of measurement or inaccurate measurement of utility services on premises controlled by the customer or by the person using or receiving the direct benefit of utility service at that location shall raise a rebuttable presumption of the commission of the offense described in division (A) above by such person.
(D) (1) A person convicted of unlawful inter-ference with public utility services is guilty of a Class misdemeanor unless the offense was committed for remuneration, in which case it is a Class 4 felony and shall be prosecuted under appropriate state law.
(2) After a first conviction of unlawful interference with public utility services any subsequent conviction shall be a Class 4 felony and shall be prosecuted under appropriate state law.
(`79 Code, § 130.017) (Ord. 1032, passed 4-7-86) Penalty, see § 10.99
Statutory reference:
For similar state law, see ILCS Ch. 720, Act 5, § 16-14