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The bill raises penalties for mail theft which may deter theft and reduce losses for mail users, but it expands federal criminal exposure and sentencing—heightening plea pressure, increasing incarceration and fiscal costs, and disproportionately harming low-income defendants.
People and businesses who send or receive mail will likely face fewer thefts and lower losses (stolen packages, identity documents, fraud remediation costs) because the bill increases penalties that can deter mail theft.
Law enforcement and prosecutors will have a stronger sentencing tool to pursue repeat or serious mail thieves, potentially improving case outcomes and convictions.
Federal employees and others whose conduct may now carry higher federal penalties face expanded criminal exposure, increasing prosecutorial leverage and plea pressure.
Low-income defendants charged with mail theft are at higher risk of receiving prison time (rather than alternatives), increasing collateral harms like job loss and family instability.
Taxpayers could face higher incarceration costs if convictions lead to longer prison terms for mail theft.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Increases the statutory maximum prison term for federal mail theft from 5 years to 10 years by amending 18 U.S.C. § 1708.
Introduced February 13, 2025 by Ken Calvert · Last progress February 13, 2025
Raises the maximum federal prison term for mail theft by changing the statutory ceiling in 18 U.S.C. § 1708 from 5 years to 10 years. The bill does not create new programs, funding, or other criminal elements; it only increases the maximum possible sentence for convictions under the existing mail-theft statute. This change mainly affects people prosecuted for mail theft, federal prosecutors, the U.S. Postal Service workforce, and the federal prison system by expanding the potential punishment that courts may impose for violations of the statute.