Online shopping has significantly grown in popularity over the last few
years, especially during the holidays and now during a pandemic. However,
there is a new type of thief – known as the “porch pirate”
– who unlawfully capitalizes on this recent trend.
In the past few years, several states have passed laws that specifically
address this type of mail
theft. In Texas, for example, stealing mail is punishable by a sentence between
180 days in jail and imprisonment for 10 years and fines ranging from
$4,000 to $10,000, based on how many people were affected by the theft.
In Michigan, the first offense for mail theft carries a maximum jail sentence
of one year, while a second offense is punishable by a prison term of
up to five years.
Furthermore, mail theft is a federal crime, which can result in a maximum
five-year federal prison term and fines not exceeding $250,000. However,
federal law only applies to mail delivered by the United States Postal
Service (USPS), not Amazon, FedEx, or UPS.
In Nevada, the criminal charges and penalties of mail theft depend on the
value of the stolen item. If the item is worth less than $250, then the
crime is considered “petty theft,” which is a misdemeanor that carries up to six months in jail and
a fine no more than $1,000. If the item is worth between $650 and $35,000,
the crime is “grand larceny,” which is a felony that carries a maximum prison term of five years
and a fine of up to $10,000.
Unfortunately, people are accused of being porch pirates due to mistaken
identity or making an honest mistake to assume the package belongs to
them. In addition, states with specific theft laws address porch pirates
that may specifically target the underprivileged and lead to mass incarceration.
