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Man barred from six Utah counties for shooting energy substation, causing power outages

A Utah man will be barred from six counties in the state for three years after he is released from prison and must pay back more than $380,000 as punishment for shooting an energy substation and causing “major” power outages.

Stephen Plato McRae, 59, agreed to those conditions as part of a plea deal Friday in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City, according to a news release from Utah’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. The agreement also mandates he spends 96 months in prison.

While on probation, the Escalante resident won’t be allowed in Garfield, Iron, Juab, Kane, Washington or Wayne counties, where Garkane Energy Cooperative operates an energy facility.