A man from Inez was arrested Tuesday, November 13, after being charged with stealing water from a local utility company, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Department.

Michael Lee Maynard, 41, is charged with felony theft of services. He was arrested shortly after 12 P.M. at his home along Dempsey Hollow in Martin County.

Officials with the Martin County Sheriff’s Department learned Tuesday morning of Maynard using a device to illegally get water to his home after they were notified by the county water department.  

Deputies said Maynard had a “cheater pipe” in his water meter, adding that his water meter was pulled June 26. The Martin County Water Department contacted the sheriff’s department after noticing the cheater pipe. Deputies say it was in place when they arrived.

A cheater bar is used to bypass water meters. It costs the owner $8 but can cost the county thousands of dollars per month.

Martin County Sheriff John Kirk stated Michael Maynard, may have been stealing water from the district since late June. He says he will arrest anyone in the county immediately if he sees water theft.

“It’s (WATER DEPT.) a business. It’s just like a Walmart or a Dollar General. If someone’s shopping there, and they’re shoplifting, then what happens is ultimately they have to raise the prices on their products for the next person”, said Martin County Sheriff John Kirk. “And we’re going to pay more money.”

“I think we have to get a little tougher. It’s theft of services,” Sheriff Kirk said. “It’s no different than trying to steal electric from the power company.”

Martin County utility board officials say these thefts make water more expensive for the people in the district who are not breaking the law.

“If our water loss wasn’t nearly as high as it is, we wouldn’t have had to have such a high raise”,  according to John Hensley, secretary of the Martin County Water Board.

Secretary Hensley added many local people do not install these cheater bars properly, and Hensley says that also costs the county a lot of money.

“Lets say it drops out and it runs wide open, you could look at $4,000 to $5,000 in a month”, stated Hensley.

Sheriff Kirk warned that anyone caught stealing water in the water district will be prosecuted and arrested on the spot moving forward. Kirk stated he hopes this arrest will serve as a deterrent for anyone stealing water in the county.

“As the sheriff, if I know that these people are stealing water, it’s my job to arrest them for it,” said Sheriff Kirk. “It’s my job if they’re out stealing lawn mowers and weed eaters to arrest them for it. And I’m going to do the same thing if they’re stealing electricity or if they’re stealing water.”

Michael Lee Maynard was taken to the Big Sandy Regional Detention Center in Paintsville. He has since been released after posting his bail bond.