Dec 20, 2007 11:24 am US/Eastern
Elderly Man Allegedly Steals $50K In Natural Gas
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Anthony Paone Sr., 85, of Winchester allegedly used an illegally installed bypass valve to steal $50,000 worth of natural gas from January 1, 2002 - April 2007 for his 50-unit building at 333 Broadway.
WBZ
An elderly man is accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of gas for his apartment building in Somerville, according to Attorney General Martha Coakley.
Anthony Paone Sr., 85, of Winchester allegedly used an illegally installed bypass valve to steal $50,000 worth of natural gas from January 1, 2002 - April 2007 for his 50-unit building at 333 Broadway. "The allegation is, at least for the time he's being charged, that (the gas) was worth $50,000 that should have been paid to Keyspan. Instead, it came from the tenants to him, into his pocket," explains Attorney General Martha Coakley.
According to people inside the building, heat and hot water was included in the rent. "I was getting a gas bill for the stove use," explains Howard Covert, a tenant in the building. "It was the hot water and the heat that was included."
Keyspan began its investigation after receiving an anonymous letter in 2005, according to the attorney general's office. When the company paid a visit to the building, they were unable to find the illegal bypass valve mentioned in the tipster's letter.
Two years later, the attorney general's office said Keyspan received additional information, including detailed sketches, of the bypass valve's location -- that is when the attorney general's office got involved in the investigation.
According to the attorney general's office, officials issued a search warrant, and the illegal valve was found. Investigators determined natural gas was being diverted via the bypass valve.
Coakley tells WBZ that tenants of the building would not have known about the alleged stolen gas, because they were still receiving services, and Keyspan did not pick up on it before the tip. Spokesperson David Graves of National Grid, which owns Keyspan said, "We consider this theft. It's larceny."
Officials believe Paone installed the valve as a way to get around the Keyspan meter -- allowing him to receive un-metered gas for free for years.
Paone is charged with larceny over $250 and interference with a gas meter. He will be arraigned at Middlesex Superior Court at a later date.
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