$150 Power-Line Tap Costs Texas Man 25 Years in Prison
A man who was convicted of diverting $150 worth of electricity into his home from a utility pole has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Jury members said they convicted Charles Edward Bradford, 25, even though not all of them were convinced he had rigged the illegal power line and some didn’t think the offense should be a felony.
Bradford was convicted of criminal mischief under a rarely used statute that makes it a felony to tamper with equipment belonging to a public utility.
He was sentenced under Texas’ habitual criminal law, which sets out a minimum of 25 years in prison for anyone with three prior felony convictions.
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