Committee hears proposal to modernize Maryland mail-theft law amid rising thefts
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Summary
Senate Bill 171 would update a historic mail-theft statute and give local prosecutors tools to charge thefts that elude federal thresholds; postal inspectors and prosecutors cited rising organized thefts of mail, carrier assaults and arrow keys.
Senator Walstreicher told the Judicial Proceedings Committee SB 171 modernizes an archaic mail-theft statute that dates to 1713 and equips local prosecutors to pursue a broader range of mail-related crimes, from porch piracy to attacks to seize postal skeleton/arrow keys.
"We need to have a tool for our state's attorneys at the local level to prosecute what the federal government does not have the resources to prosecute," the sponsor said, citing a spike in thefts and organized groups targeting mail carriers.
Steven Sultan, acting chief counsel for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, told the committee that robberies of carriers and theft of arrow keys have grown and that the agency is upgrading box security and collaborating with local prosecutors. Prosecutors who testified said some cases involve large financial instruments and that federal prosecutors often reserve charges for very large-dollar losses.
Committee members asked how the new statute would interact with federal mail statutes and whether it risked duplicative enforcement; supporters said the bill is intended to supplement federal prosecution and help local jurisdictions address thefts the U.S. Attorney's Office may not prioritize.
No committee vote was recorded at the hearing; sponsors urged a favorable report to give local prosecutors more options.