Former Hibbing mayor charged with electricity theft

HIBBING (AP) -- Former mayor Jim Collins submitted a letter of resignation from the Hibbing Public Utilities Commission after he was charged with felony utility theft last week.

City Clerk Jeff Young confirmed he received a letter of resignation signed by Collins, 77, Thursday evening. It was effective immediately.

The city council is expected to accept the resignation at a special meeting Monday night. Collins will have served just less than a year of a three-year term with the PUC.

The Hibbing PUC owns and operates a power plant which provides steam and electricity for the Hibbing area.

Collins was charged Thursday with one count of felony theft by swindle and two counts of unlawful acts. Prosecutors allege Collins was cheating the PUC of costs for electricity.

PUC officials claim he stole about approximately $3,400 worth of power over three years.

"Resigning under these circumstances is unfortunate," said Jim Kochevar, Hibbing PUC general manager and executive director.

According to the criminal complaint, a PUC employee observed extreme wear on the back of Collins' power meter as if the meter had been repeatedly pulled out and plugged back into the meter base.

Collins was removed as mayor for open meeting law violations in July 1994.