720 ILCS 5/16-14 – Theft of Utility Services
This law makes it illegal to tamper with or steal water, gas, electricity, or other public utilities.
This Illinois law says it’s a crime to take or interfere with public utilities like water, gas, or power without permission. It explains the punishments based on how serious the crime is and whether it affects customers or large areas.
(a) A person breaks this law if they knowingly, and without permission, take, change, or interfere with any public water, gas, or power supply system. It also applies to anyone who installs a device meant to take or change these services without the owner’s approval.
(b) Sentence:
- Usually, this crime is a Class A misdemeanor. But if it’s done to make money, it becomes a Class 4 felony.
- If a person does it more than once, it counts as a Class 4 felony for later offenses.
- If the tampering causes a power or utility outage or delays service restoration for 10 or more customers, or affects an area larger than one square mile, it becomes a Class 2 felony.
(c) This law does not apply to stealing phone or internet communication services.
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