By Cherrie Anne E. Villahermosa
Variety News Staff

A 41-year-old businessman was arrested for theft in a case involving $80,000 worth of power from the Commonwealth Utility Corporation.
The government said Wei Bing Chen used a “jumper” to generate power.
Chen was arrested on Wednesday night and was brought to Superior Court for a bail hearing yesterday morning before Associate Judge Kenneth Govendo.
Chen was released later from the custody of the Department of Corrections on his own recognizance. He was ordered to appear in court for arraignment on April 16 at 9 a.m..
A police affidavit stated that on March 21, DPS responded to a theft complaint at a barracks complex in San Antonio behind the UIC garment factory. The barracks complex is owned by Chen.
The power to the barracks had been disconnected due to non-payment but the complex was still receiving power from CUC.
According to the affidavit, Chen was at the CUC office on March 22 and was informed that his meter box had been tampered with and his building had illegal wiring that bypassed the meters.
Chen denied the allegations, the affidavit stated, but admitted later that he paid $400 to a CUC employee sometime in Aug. 2005 and several payments of $40 to do some work on his meters.