18 U.S.C. § 1702 — Obstruction of correspondence

Page 423 TITLE 18—CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE § 1703 remaining on board the said vessel for delivery at such ports. Whoever, being the master or other person having charge or control of such vessel, breaks bulk before he has arranged for such delivery or onward carriage, shall be fined under this title. (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 777; July 3, 1952, ch. 553, 66 Stat. 325; Pub. L. 91–375, § 6(j)(15), Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 778; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(B), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2146.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 327 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 204, 35 Stat. 1127). Minor changes were made in phraseology. Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted ‘‘fined under this title’’ for ‘‘fined not more than $100’’ in last par. 1970—Pub. L. 91–375 substituted ‘‘Postal Service’’ for ‘‘Postmaster General’’ in two places. 1952—Act July 3, 1952, provided for only the unloading of mail from a vessel as can be expedited by discharge at such port. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1970 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 91–375 effective within 1 year after Aug. 12, 1970, on date established therefor by Board of Governors of United States Postal Service and published by it in Federal Register, see section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91–375, set out as an Effective Date note pre- ceding section 101 of Title 39, Postal Service. Executive Documents TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS Offices of collector of customs, comptroller of cus- toms, surveyor of customs, and appraiser of merchan- dise in Bureau of Customs of Department of the Treas- ury to which appointments were required to be made by President with advice and consent of Senate were or- dered abolished, with such offices to be terminated not later than Dec. 31, 1966, by Reorg. Plan No. 1 of 1965, eff. May 25, 1965, 30 F.R. 7035, 79 Stat. 1317, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Em- ployees. Functions of offices eliminated were already vested in Secretary of the Treasury by Reorg. Plan No. 26 of 1950, eff. July 31, 1950, 15 F.R. 4935, 64 Stat. 1280, set out in the Appendix to Title 5. § 1700. Desertion of mails Whoever, having taken charge of any mail, voluntarily quits or deserts the same before he has delivered it into the post office at the termi- nation of the route, or to some known mail car- rier, messenger, agent, or other employee in the Postal Service authorized to receive the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both. (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 778; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(G), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 322 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 199, 35 Stat. 1126). Minor changes were made in phraseology. Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted ‘‘fined under this title’’ for ‘‘fined not more than $500’’. § 1701. Obstruction of mails generally Whoever knowingly and willfully obstructs or retards the passage of the mail, or any carrier or conveyance carrying the mail, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both. (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 778; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(B), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2146.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 324, 325 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §§ 201, 202, 35 Stat. 1127). Sections 324 and 325 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., were consolidated with changes of phraseology necessary to effect consolidation. Words ‘‘carriage, horse, driver or’’, ‘‘car, steamboat’’, and ‘‘or vessel’’ were omitted as covered by ‘‘any car- rier or conveyance’’. The punishment provision is derived from said sec- tion 324 rather than from section 325 which provided only a fine of not more than $100 and related only to ferrymen. Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted ‘‘fined under this title’’ for ‘‘fined not more than $100’’. § 1702. Obstruction of correspondence Whoever takes any letter, postal card, or package out of any post office or any authorized depository for mail matter, or from any letter or mail carrier, or which has been in any post of- fice or authorized depository, or in the custody of any letter or mail carrier, before it has been delivered to the person to whom it was directed, with design to obstruct the correspondence, or to pry into the business or secrets of another, or opens, secretes, embezzles, or destroys the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 778; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(I), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.) HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 317 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 194, 35 Stat. 1125; Feb. 25, 1925, ch. 318, 43 Stat. 977; Aug. 26, 1935, ch. 693, 49 Stat. 867; Aug. 7, 1939, ch. 557, 53 Stat. 1256). Section 317 of said title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., was incor- porated in this and section 1708 of this title. Minor changes were made in phraseology. Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted ‘‘fined under this title’’ for ‘‘fined not more than $2,000’’. § 1703. Delay or destruction of mail or news- papers (a) Whoever, being a Postal Service officer or employee, unlawfully secretes, destroys, de-