N.Y. Penal Law § 270.40

§ 270.40 Unlawfully installing a gas meter.\n 1. As used in this section "gas meter" means any gas meter that\nmeasures usage of any end use customer of gas services.\n 2. A person is guilty of unlawfully installing a gas meter when he or\nshe installs the gas meter or is the owner of the premises where the\nmeter is unlawfully installed and knows that such gas meter was\nunlawfully installed. A gas meter is unlawfully installed when it is\ninstalled by any person other than a person acting on behalf of a\nutility corporation subject to the jurisdiction of the public service\ncommission, unless such person has received a permit to install the gas\nmeter from the appropriate permitting authority.\n Unlawfully installing a gas meter is a class B misdemeanor.\n