Gene,
Back-feeding is one of the most un-desirable situations that can happen in a power distribution network.
Considering that the guy used a "Suicide cord" to power his house, without bothering to shut the Main Switch off before starting the Generator, I hope that this guy gets all that is coming to him.
If I had have been the faultsman attending to this, the guy would have got a bloody good dressing down thrown in for free!.
It's bad enough enough that we should have to work out in freezing and wet conditions, being electrocuted by some numb-skull, isn't part of our working conditions.
I'd also back the faultsman up on cutting the Service Line away from the pole, I'd do the same thing.
This guy, if he doesn't go to prison, will be at the BOTTOM of the re-connection list, where he belongs.