With the new USPS law that fines offenders $2,500 people must start being careful with other people’s mails. The violators could even get up to 5 years in prison where state and federal prosecutors could leave them helpless. The new law will come into effect from July 1 in Virginia making it a state felony to steal or tamper with mail sent via USPS.
However, this is already a felony at the federal level. The new law brings in harsher punishment to the offenders. According to Senator Saddam Salim, the law’s goal is to add more severe punishments and better tools for prosecutors similar to federal law. There have been several thefts in Virginia leaving people angry. They have missed bills and even social security checks that come via mail.
The most impacted people are the elderly, who have been relying on physical mail. Lawmakers have concluded this has caused them inconvenience. In March, four people were arrested who were running a mail theft and bank fraud ring. They stole keys from the mailmen to get access to the boxes. In the heated conversation, the mail inspector shot one of the criminals after the other criminals tried to attack him with their vehicle, as reported by The Sun.
Salim stated that if the mail, such as social security checks intended for your family, goes missing, they call the office to get it reissued. However, it’s a time-consuming process. With the new power under this law, he hopes the state prosecutors can free federal attorneys who are busy handling so many such cases.
Protecting You and Your Mail #mail #USPIS #USPS #publicservice #USPSEmployee https://t.co/A9ggNdjW2B pic.twitter.com/tp3cqhH1iW
— lily (@lpamanian) June 24, 2025
Under this law, the offender who steals important documents will get severe punishment depending on the information in those documents. Earlier, punishment was decided only based on the value of the physical paper. Moreover, if someone damages the mailbox, they can also get prosecuted under this law. So just taking the package won’t get you in trouble but also accidentally damaging the mailbox.
In the past, USPS has warned customers about the closures and price changes, with over 20 mail centers closing across the country. Customers complain about lost or delayed mail and growing price rates, and they are even more worried about the future of the mail service, which could be unclear. The mail agency is already struggling to stay afloat while resorting to workforce cuts amidst financial losses.
USPS warning customers of ‘brushing’ scamshttps://t.co/oKLB1xkt5U
— Wayne T (@WayneT98974491) June 15, 2025
Some more changes are also required at USPS, according to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. These include retail leases where more than 31,000 need to be reviewed and require renewed long-term leasing. Another issue is cracking down on counterfeit postage that is over $1 billion in value. Moreover, the unfunded congressional mandates on USPS are causing annual losses worth $6 billion to $11 billion.
