Washington legal term
Defrauding a public utility in Washington Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Washington legislative session
In Washington criminal law, “Defrauding a public utility” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the Washington criminal code.
What does “Defrauding a public utility” mean in Washington criminal law?
"Defrauding a public utility" means to commit, authorize, solicit, aid, abet, or attempt to: (1) Divert, or cause to be diverted, utility services by any means whatsoever; (2) Make, or cause to be made, a connection or reconnection with property owned or used by the utility to provide utility service without the authorization or consent of the utility; (3) Prevent a utility meter or other device used in determining the charge for utility services from accurately performing its measuring function by tampering or by any other means; (4) Tamper with property owned or used by the utility to provid (RCW 9A.61.020)
Statutes defining or using this term
Charges using this term
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.