Quebec’s hydro utility says five people are facing charges of fraud and of identity theft for allegedly stealing $300,000 worth of electricity.
A spokesman for Hydro-Québec said today in a news release the suspects were arrested Monday in Montreal and on the city’s south shore.
The province-owned corporation says the suspects allegedly avoided paying for electricity by fraudulently using other people’s personal information on utility bills.
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Hydro-Québec says between 2014 and 2019, the two main suspects and their accomplices allegedly committed up to $300,000 in fraud involving 38 addresses in 28 buildings.
The utility says the suspects are facing 20 charges related to fraud, conspiracy and identity theft.
Spokesman Louis-Oliver Batty says two of the suspects appeared in Longueuil, Que., court yesterday, while the others are scheduled to appear on Sept. 25.