Is stealing a USPS package a felony?

1952—Act July 1, 1952, made any thefts or receipt of stolen mail a felony regardless of the monetary value of the thing stolen.

Is stealing USPS packages a federal crime?

While it may sound somewhat silly to levy such serious consequences for a mail theft conviction, it is considered a very serious crime, making it illegal in both the state of California and under federal law.

What is the penalty for stealing a USPS package?

Penal Code 530.5(e) PC is the California statute that prohibits mail theft. Stealing someone else's mail is a misdemeanor offense punishable by up to one year in jail and up to $1000.00 in court fines.

What happens if you steal from USPS?

Penalties

Mail theft under California Penal Code Section 530.5(e) PC is a misdemeanor offense that is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 court fine. A variety of other conditions of probation may additionally be imposed by the sentencing judge.

What can I do if someone stole my USPS package?

USPS worker faces 114 felonies for mail theft

Does USPS actually investigate lost packages?

Here's how it works: the USPS processing centers send all their undeliverable mail to the Mail Recovery Center. They scan and open the packages to look for identifying info that may help get the package to its rightful owner—if the item has a value of $25 or more.

Does USPS actually look for lost packages?

The Postal Service™ will attempt to find and return your lost item(s), but submitting a search does not guarantee a successful outcome. We will return any mail piece from which we can locate a good address or match with an official search request.

Is stealing packages the same as stealing mail?

Package theft is a type of mail theft and may be punishable by both state and federal laws. As such, it is important to have an experienced and aggressive Seattle criminal defense lawyer on your side to help you avoid maximum penalties and consequences.

Can you sue USPS for stolen package?

You can't sue for lost mail, so think about getting insurance if you are concerned about a particular package. You can also send it through certified mail to receive proof that the mail was delivered.

What happens if you get caught stealing packages?

Theft of U.S. Mail can qualify as a federal offense. This can result in a federal prison sentence of up to 5 years and a fine up to $250,000.00.

Is it illegal to open someone else's USPS package?

Is it a federal crime to open someone else's mail? The short answer is “yes.” Opening or destroying mail that is addressed to someone else is a crime called “Obstruction of Correspondence.” It is a serious felony that could lead to prison time.

What is a Class C felony?

Class C felonies are the third-to-the-highest in the class ranking.. This is a high-level felony, and is the worst kind of felony. These include crimes such as arson, burglary, armed robbery, voluntary manslaughter and murder. Class C felonies may involve: Aggravated assault.

What is the porch pirates act of 2022?

Dean Phillips (D-MN) introduced the Porch Pirates Act to combat increasing occurrences of package theft. The bill would apply the same federal penalties that apply to the theft of United States Postal Service (USPS) mail to the theft of commercial packages from private carriers such as Amazon, FedEx, and UPS.

What crimes does the USPS investigate?

Postal Inspectors investigate any crime with a nexus to the mail. These crimes include mail theft, mail fraud, financial fraud, identity theft, robberies and burglaries of postal facilities, assaults and threats on postal employees, investigations of dangerous and prohibited mails, narcotics, cybercrime and much more.

Does USPS prosecute?

Which Offenses Does the Postal Service Investigate? Three classes of offenses account for over five out of every six (85.9%) prosecutions where the type of offense was listed[3].

Can the USPS make arrests?

As sworn federal law enforcement agents, Postal Inspectors have the power to serve warrants and subpoenas issued under the authority of the United States; make arrests without warrants for postal-related offenses committed in their presence; make arrests without warrants for postal-related felonies cognizable under the ...

Who is responsible for stolen USPS packages?

Take as a whole, the Buyer is largely put in the position to resolve the issue by reaching out to the Seller or making a claim with the Delivery Company. The Buyer is also responsible for reporting the crime to the local police.

Does USPS have sovereign immunity?

As "an independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States," the United States Postal Service enjoys federal sovereign immunity absent a waiver.

Who is responsible if USPS loses a package?

Thus, anything that happens in transit is the responsibility of the seller; they are responsible if the package is lost or damaged during transit, and usually must replace it or give a reimbursement.

How is mail theft proven?

To establish mail fraud, the prosecutor does not have to have evidence showing the defendant mailed the document. It's enough for the government to have circumstantial evidence that the mailing took place and the defendant caused it to happen.

Do porch pirates go to jail?

Dubbed the Porch Piracy Act, the bill made the crime a misdemeanor punishable by a year in jail, a $500 fine, or both. But anyone caught committing the act three times in a 60-day period can be charged with a felony, which can mean two to five years in prison plus a fine up to $5,000, or both.

Who pays for stolen packages?

If it appears that your package has been stolen, contact the seller or retailer that sold you the item. Retailers have different policies and processes for handling stolen items, but you're usually entitled to a refund or a replacement. Amazon covers most stolen packages through its "A-to-Z" Guarantee Protection.

Does USPS XRAY every package?

Is Mail X-Rayed? Some of the mail that is sent through the United States Postal Service will pass through an X-Ray machine. There are no specific guidelines as to what may or may not be x-rayed, though mail sent to or through larger cities is likely to pass through an X-Ray machine.

How do I start a USPS investigation?

Does USPS have GPS tracking for packages?

Ask USPS for the GPS Location Scan Information

When you present the tracking number, USPS will be able to tell you the GPS location where they scanned and delivered the package down to a 6-foot radius 👍 Then, you can let your recipient know that you requested the GPS scan info.