§ 26-61. Theft and diversion of county and public utility services.

(a)

It shall be unlawful for any person, intentionally and without authority, to destroy, damage or tamper with any meter, pipe, conduit, wire, line, post, lamp or other apparatus owned by the county or by any company engaged in the manufacture or sale of electricity, gas, water, telephone, cable television or other public service, herein known as "utility services."

(b)

It shall be unlawful for any person, intentionally and without authority, to prevent a meter from properly registering the quantity of such service supplied or in any way to interfere with the proper action of the county or of a company engaged in the manufacture or sale of utility services, or to intentionally divert any of the services of the county or such company, or otherwise intentionally and without authority to use or cause to be used, without consent of the county or such company, any service manufactured, sold or distributed by the county or such company.

(c)

No person shall knowingly receive the benefits of acts of diversion or of tampering with utility services without the proper charge.

(d)

Proof that any of the acts specified in this section were done on premises in possession of an accused, or that the accused received the benefit of any such act, shall be prima facie evidence that the accused committed such act or aided and abetted in the commission thereof.

(Code 2005, § 50-79; Ord. of 3-3-2003, § 9)