Tex. Penal Code § 33A.02 · Chapter 33A. TELECOMMUNICATIONS CRIMES
UNAUTHORIZED USE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) A person commits an offense if the person is an officer, shareholder, partner, employee, agent, or independent contractor of a telecommunications service provider and the person knowingly and without authority uses or diverts telecommunications service for the person's own benefit or to the benefit of another.
(b) An offense under this section is:
(1) a Class B misdemeanor if the value of the telecommunications service used or diverted is less than $500;
(2) a Class A misdemeanor if:
(A) the value of the telecommunications service used or diverted is $500 or more but less than $1,500; or
(B) the value of the telecommunications service used or diverted is less than $500 and the defendant has been previously convicted of an offense under this chapter;
(3) a state jail felony if:
(A) the value of the telecommunications service used or diverted is $1,500 or more but less than $20,000; or
(B) the value of the telecommunications service used or diverted is less than $1,500 and the defendant has been previously convicted two or more times of an offense under this chapter;
(4) a felony of the third degree if the value of the telecommunications service used or diverted is $20,000 or more but less than $100,000;
(5) a felony of the second degree if the value of the telecommunications service used or diverted is $100,000 or more but less than $200,000; or
(6) a felony of the first degree if the value of the telecommunications service used or diverted is $200,000 or more.
(c) When telecommunications service is used or diverted in violation of this section pursuant to one scheme or continuing course of conduct, whether or not in a single incident, the conduct may be considered as one offense and the values of the service used or diverted may be aggregated in determining the grade of the offense.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 306, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.33A.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 caf977d9a80c2e3f408c40c1a49fe4c8abcc15d17c76b254047c9ccc1a5df532
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.