A new bill introduced in Maryland aims to combat the rising issue of mail theft by targeting thieves who pilfer from U.S. mailboxes. Proposed as House Bill 318 in Maryland’s General Assembly, the legislation seeks to address a form of theft that frequently targets vulnerable individuals, including the elderly and those in low-income neighborhoods.
While tampering with mail is already classified as a federal offense, proponents of the bill argue that additional measures are needed at the state level to effectively combat this type of crime. Maryland Delegate Jared Solomon, one of the bill’s sponsors, highlighted instances of mail theft experienced by constituents in Montgomery County, where concerns about mailbox security have become prevalent.
“We’ve had several mail carriers held up at gunpoint, where people want to steal the arrow keys, essentially the keys that lock a mailbox,” Solomon explained.
Jason Shoemaker from the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office supported the bill, emphasizing the significant financial losses incurred when checks are stolen and altered through a process called “washing.” This method involves stripping the ink from stolen checks and rewriting them for larger amounts, resulting in losses ranging from thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars per check.
Former Maryland State Delegate Doyle Niemann, now working in the Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office, underscored the real consequences of mail theft, citing cases where entire neighborhoods faced eviction due to stolen rent checks.
For Debbie Feinstein, Chief of the Special Victims Division for the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, the issue hits close to home. Feinstein shared a personal anecdote involving her parents, whose mail was stolen from a nearby mailbox, resulting in significant financial loss and emotional distress.
The proposed legislation outlines penalties for various offenses related to mail theft, ranging from imprisonment for up to one year and/or fines of up to $4,000, to more severe penalties of up to 99 years imprisonment and/or fines of $10,000. Penalties would be adjusted based on factors such as the age and vulnerability of the victim.