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Illinois Criminal Code of 1961

Article 17: Tampering with Meters

Tampering with gas, water, or service meters can cause serious financial injury to both corporations and individuals. As a result, these crimes are made punishable by Illinois law. If a person alters or obstructs a meter designed to measure the quantity of gas, water, or electric current consumed, or any service meter that is part of a mechanical or electric machine, he or she may be found guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.

Need an Illinois criminal defense attorney? If you've been charged with a tampering crime in Illinois, call our Chicago criminal defense attorneys today at (312) 466-9466 to discuss your case.

The text below comes from Article 17B of the Illinois Criminal Code of 1961. This law may have changed -- please read the important legal disclaimer at the bottom of this page.

Sec. 17-20. Obstructing gas, water, and electric current meters.
    (720 ILCS 5/17-20)

A person, who, with intent to injure or defraud a company, body corporate, copartnership, or individual, injures, alters, obstructs, or prevents the action of a meter provided for the purpose of measuring and registering the quantity of gas, water, or electric current consumed by or at a burner, orifice, or place, or supplied to a lamp, motor, machine, or appliance, or causes, procures, or aids the injuring or altering of any such meter or the obstruction or prevention of its action, or makes or causes to be made with a gas pipe, water pipe, or electrical conductor any connection so as to conduct or supply illumination or inflammable gas, water, or electric current to any burner, orifice, lamp, motor, or other machine or appliance from which the gas, water, or electricity may be consumed or utilized without passing through or being registered by a meter or without the consent or acquiescence of the company, municipal corporation, body corporate, copartnership, or individual furnishing or transmitting the gas, water, or electric current through the gas pipe, water pipe, or electrical conductor, is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor. (Source: P.A. 89-234, eff. 1-1-96.)

Sec. 17-21. Obstructing service meters.
    (720 ILCS 5/17-21)

A person, who, with the intent to defraud, tampers with, alters, obstructs or prevents the action of a meter, register, or other counting device that is a part of a mechanical or electrical machine, equipment, or device that measures service, without the consent of the owner of the machine, equipment, or device, is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor. (Source: P.A. 89-234, eff. 1-1-96.)

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DISCLAIMER: These excerpts from the law are provided for reference purposes only. Visitors to our Chicago criminal defense lawyer website should be aware that Illinois criminal laws have been amended many times and that Illinois crime laws posted on this site may not be current. In addition, Illinois criminal case law defines precedents for legal determinations that are not defined in the original laws.

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