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Charges dropped against Nissan Leaf electricity 'thief'

The absurd little story of Nissan Leaf driver Kaveh Kamooneh and his brush with the law has apparently come to an end. Kamooneh, who was arrested and thrown in jail because he plugged his electric vehicle into a public middle school outlet without permission, will have the misdemeanor criminal charges ("theft by taking") against him dropped, according to Georgia TV news station 11 Alive. The total cost of the electricity Kamooneh took? Five cents, even though the local Chamblee Police warrant claimed it was more like $10-25, which would take a lot longer than the 20 minutes Kamooneh's Leaf was connected to the school.

Kamooneh spent 15 hours in the DeKalb County jail a few weeks ago and has been the subject of much media attention since then. After the initial reports, which painted Kamooneh in a positive light, surfaced, the police countered with a different version of events, one that made him look like an argumentative meanie and a liar. However it really went down, the case should be done soon. The bigger question about whether it is okay to just plug your car into any available outlet (an "opportunity charge," similar to how many people use their cell phones), is nowhere near being answered.

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