Is it a Crime to Open or Take Someone’s Mail?
Most people will tell you stealing mail is a “federal offense”. Well, the experienced Baltimore criminal defense lawyer Attorney Eric T. Kirk will tell you it is a state crime as well.
Under federal law:
‘Whoever steals or by deception obtains, any mail, from any post office, or station thereof, letter box, mail receptacle, or or from a letter or mail carrier, or secretes, embezzles, or destroys any such letter, postal card, package, bag, or mail, or any article or thing contained therein’, has committed a felony.
Source: 18 USC section 1708.
In contrast, the state crime is opening mail that is not addressed to you. An aggressive criminal defense lawyer in Baltimore may well be able to keep his or her client charged with the state crime from doing serious time. Whereas the federal penalty can be up to five years, the state penalty is a maximum of 6 days.
I’ve made a career of battling the State, to ensure a fair outcome for those I represent. I’d be happy to take a complimentary look at your case and offer my opinions and advice. Feel free to contact me today to schedule a discussion.
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For over three decades, I have battled against the nation’s largest insurance companies, always endeavoring to ensure my clients receive the compensation they deserve. As lead counsel in thousands of cases across Maryland, New York, and Florida, I have recovered millions for clients whose claims were wrongfully denied and delayed. Whether denying fair compensation for a personal injury victim or denying benefits to a homeowner, Insurance companies employ policy exclusions, technicalities, and lowball offers to deny and defeat claims. They also hire very good lawyers to fight you in court. So should you. When an insurance company unfairly rejects a claim, I stop them.
