Jul 22 - Detroit Free Press



Those who illegally connect electric and gas lines to homes could now face felony charges under legislation signed Wednesday by Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

The five-bill package also makes it a crime, possibly a felony, to assault or threaten utility workers on the job.

Last year, DTE Energy discovered 60,000 cases in which electric power or gas that had been turned off was illegally reconnected, said Mark Johnson of DTE's theft division.

Such illicit connections can be dangerous -- jumper cables, bare wires and gas meter bypasses are used -- and have caused fires, he said.

 Johnson said energy theft is most common in Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck, but occurs throughout metro Detroit.

He said it has spawned a black market of so-called fixers, who charge fees to reconnect power or heat to homes or businesses that have not paid their utility bills and have had service cut off.

Those fixers also could face felony charges if caught.

DTE spokesman Len Singer said a particular problem is landlords who illegally rig homes and apartments for power or gas and tell their tenants the cost is included in their rent, or that it's free.

The legislation requires utilities to take action to cut off illicit electric power or gas connections at locations where it was shut off at least twice in the previous 24 months for unauthorized use.

Power and heat could be restored under certain circumstances.

One bill aims to protect utility workers who connect or disconnect power at homes and businesses.

DTE employee David Heatherly said he was threatened last year by a landlord with a handgun when he arrived to disconnect power that had been illegally connected.

"I talked my way out of it," Heatherly said, adding that he also has been threatened by property owners with baseball bats and attack dogs.

Contact CHRIS CHRISTOFF: 517-372-8660 or cchristoff@freepress.com

-----

To see more of the Detroit Free Press, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.freep.com

Copyright (c) 2010, Detroit Free Press

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

(c) 2010, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services  To subscribe or visit go to:  www.mcclatchy.com/