Sec. 53a-127c. Theft of electric, gas, water, steam, telecommunications, wireless radio communications or community antenna television service for profit or economic gain: Class D felony.
Sec. 53a-127c. Theft of electric, gas, water, steam, telecommunications, wireless radio communications or community antenna television service for profit or
economic gain: Class D felony. (a) A person is guilty of theft of electric, gas, water,
steam, telecommunications, wireless radio communications or community antenna television service for profit or economic gain when he: (1) Engages in the business for profit
or economic gain of tampering or making connection with the equipment of a supplier
of an electric, gas, water, steam, telecommunications, wireless radio communications
or community antenna television service which is not metered or otherwise measured,
in whole or in part, without the consent of such supplier, for the purpose of supplying
such service on one or more occasions to two or more households, or (2) engages in the
business for profit or economic gain of offering for sale to any person other than the
supplier of an electric, gas, water, steam, telecommunications, wireless radio communications or community antenna television service which is not metered or otherwise
measured, in whole or in part, any decoder, descrambler or other device, the principal
function of which defeats the electronic signal encryption jamming or individually addressed switching imposed by such supplier for the purpose of restricting the delivery
of such service to persons who pay for such service, or (3) without the consent of the
supplier of such service and with intent to defraud such supplier, engages in the business
for profit or economic gain of connecting or disconnecting the meters, pipes, cables,
conduits, conductors or attachments of such supplier or in any other manner tampers or
connects with such meters, pipes, cables, conduits, conductors or attachments. There
shall be a rebuttable presumption that a person is engaged in the business for profit or
economic gain of offering for sale a decoder, descrambler or other device, equipment
or component in violation of subdivision (2) of this subsection if such person has five
or more decoders, descramblers or other devices in his possession or under his control.
(b) Theft of electric, gas, water, steam, telecommunications, wireless radio communications or community antenna television service for profit or economic gain is a class
D felony.
(P.A. 84-496; P.A. 89-281, S. 2; P.A. 94-215, S. 1; P.A. 95-246, S. 2.)
History: P.A. 89-281 added theft of cable service and made provisions applicable to one engaging in business for
economic gain in Subsecs. (a) and (b); P.A. 94-215 substituted "electric, gas, water, steam" for "utility" where appearing
and amended Subsec. (a) to add "or other device" in Subdiv. (2), add Subdiv. (3) re connecting, disconnecting or tampering
with the meters, pipes, cables, conduits, conductors or attachments of a supplier without the consent of such supplier and
with intent to defraud such supplier, and add provision making it a rebuttable presumption that a person is engaged in the
business for profit or economic gain of offering for sale a decoder, descrambler or other device if he has five or more
decoders, descramblers or other devices in his possession or under his control; P.A. 95-246 included theft of "telecommunications" and "wireless radio communications" service and added "equipment or component" in provision re a rebuttable
presumption.
See Sec. 52-570f re civil action and relief authorized for theft of service.