Fergie's Tech Blog

Amish Teen Fined For Tapping Into Neighbors Line

Patricia Wolff writes in The Northwestern (Oshgosh, Wisconsin) :

An Amish teenager will pay a fine and restitution to a neighbor for illegally tapping into his telephone line.

James Bontrager, 17, W3950 Grand River Road, Markesan, pleaded guilty in Green Lake County Circuit Court Jan. 23, to a charge of telecommunications fraud.

He was fined $367 and ordered to pay $36.09 in long distance charges to CenturyTel for calls the teen made on his neighbor's phone line to a relative in Indiana. The Amish traditionally shun telephones and other modern conveniences in their homes.

When confronted by Green Lake County Sheriff's Deputy Matthew Vande Kolk, James Bontrager led the deputy to a shed on his property where he had brought his neighbor's phone line inside. He also surrendered the phone he had been using to call relatives, the documents said.

Bontrager claimed he did not know the neighbor would be charged for the calls, according to court documents.

posted by Fergie @ 2/23/2006 07:39:00 AM