§ 37-12-209 — Accepting rebates

Any person receiving service from any public utility subject to
the provisions of this act, who shall knowingly by an employee,
agent, officer or otherwise, directly or indirectly, by or
through any means or device whatsoever, receive or accept from
such public utility any sum of money or other valuable
consideration as rebate or offset against the regular charge for
such service as fixed by the schedule of rates provided for in
this act, shall in addition to any penalty provided for by this
act, forfeit to the state a sum of money three (3) times the
amount of money so received or accepted and three (3) times the
value of any other consideration so received or accepted, to be
ascertained by the trial court; and the attorney general of the
state, or the attorney of the commission under its direction
shall institute in the name of the state in the district court
of the county in which the commission has its principal offices
a civil action to collect the said sum or sums so forfeited as
aforesaid; in the trial of the said action, all such rebate or
other consideration so received or accepted subsequent to the
passage of this act for a period of three (3) years prior to the
commencement of the action may be included therein; the amount
of the recovery shall be three (3) times the total amount of
money or three (3) times the total value of such consideration
received or accepted, or both, as the case may be.