July 10, 2000

It took 17 years, but police finally caught up with a man they say has been stealing every month from Utah Power.

Investigators believe over the years, he stole nearly $50,000 worth of electricity.

The man lives in Tooele County. Apparently he had re-routed some wiring to by-pass the power meter.

He was running a business, operating an apartment and a hot tub, yet paying pennies on the dollar on his monthly bill for almost two decades.

Margaret Kesler/Utah Power: "THIS IS NO DIFFERENT THAN STEALING. CURRENT DIVERSION IS SIMPLY TAKING SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE NOT WILLING TO PAY FOR."

Utah Power finally caught on, with an anonymous tip that someone was bragging about getting free electricity.

Power officials say the suspect not only created a safety hazard to those around him, but also forced other customers to subsidize his elecricity.

Tooele County prosecutors plan to file felony charges tomorrow. They say it's likely the suspect will face jail time and restitution.

Utah Power says this is the largest theft case in memory.