MONTREAL — 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-Quebec 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.
Hydro-Quebec 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.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept 22, 2020.
The Canadian Press
