A Columbia Falls man has been accused of using jumper cables to steal nearly $10,000 worth of electricity over three years.
Tim Wayne Bauer pleaded not guilty to felony theft in Flathead County District Court on March 3. He is expected to go to trial in August.
According to court documents, Flathead Electric Co-op shut Bauer’s power off in May 2012 after he did not pay his bills. Undeterred, Bauer allegedly strung up car jumper cables to the utility grid to get his electricity for free. Bauer reportedly used the free electricity until January 2015 when a co-op employee discovered it. Records showed that Bauer allegedly used $9,664.44 worth of electricity between 2012 and 2015.
If convicted, Bauer could face up to 10 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.