An electrical engineer in London who worked for the power company until resigning in 2002 is now accused of stealing and reselling power to 1,500 homes.
Derek Brown, 45, was arrested after running the electricity scam for years. He was only caught splitting the connection from the mains and setting his customers up with electricity after someone reported seeing him in a hole tampering with the electrical supply on a major street.
When cops searched Brown’s van, they found a uniform from the power company and detailed records indicating that he had been stealing and selling power to customers since quitting his job eight years ago. A search of his home turned up almost $45,000 in cash.
The property owners apparently had no idea that Brown had gone independent and was actually charging them for the stolen electricity.
He has been given an 8-month suspended sentence and must complete 150 hours of community service. He’s also unlikely to get his stash of cash back, but there will be a hearing on that point later this month.
