Mail Theft and Postal Key Prevention

Summary#

This bill creates a set of actions to address organized mail theft and crimes tied to postal keys. It requires the Attorney General to designate an assistant U.S. attorney in each federal judicial district to serve as a Mail Theft Coordinator. Those coordinators will supervise and coordinate investigations and prosecutions for theft or unlawful possession of postal keys, theft or receipt of stolen mail, large or organized mail theft schemes (including those that enable identity theft, check fraud, or bank fraud), and related conspiracies. The coordinators must work with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI, DHS, the Department of the Treasury, state and local law enforcement, and other relevant federal agencies.

The bill also requires the Attorney General to report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees within one year of enactment and then annually for five years. The report must cover trends in mail theft, the number and types of prosecutions under 18 U.S.C. 1704 and 1708 and related fraud statutes, coordination efforts, trends in theft or trafficking of postal keys and counterfeit access devices, and recommendations for improving prevention, investigation, and prosecution.

Finally, the bill directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review and amend federal sentencing guidelines by May 1 of the first calendar year after enactment. The review should ensure appropriate sentencing enhancements for offenses involving postal keys or counterfeit postal access devices, organized or large-scale mail theft, identity/financial fraud enabled by stolen mail, violence or threats targeting postal employees or contractors, and thefts that affect many victims or cause substantial financial loss. The bill states that it does not limit other agencies' existing authorities.

What it means for you#

• Federal courts will have a designated Mail Theft Coordinator in each judicial district to coordinate investigations and prosecutions of specified mail-related offenses.
• The Attorney General must produce an initial report within one year and then yearly for five years on mail theft trends and enforcement activity.
• The U.S. Sentencing Commission must review and may change sentencing guidelines for listed mail-theft and related fraud offenses.
• The bill text does not itself create new criminal offenses or set specific new penalties; changes to sentencing would come from the Sentencing Commission's actions.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

The bill states that:

• Mail theft, including theft from collection boxes and cluster mailbox units, has increased in many communities.
• Organized groups are increasingly using stolen mail and postal keys to commit identity theft, check fraud, bank fraud, and related crimes.
• Theft, duplication, or unlawful possession of postal keys and arrow keys threatens mail security.
• Mail theft and related fraud cause financial and emotional harm to consumers, small businesses, financial institutions, and postal employees.
• Effective investigation and prosecution require coordinated federal, state, and local efforts, and the Department of Justice should prioritize these cases.
• Federal sentencing policy should reflect the seriousness of offenses involving postal access devices and organized mail theft schemes.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.