Mail theft will be a state felony

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is going after porch pirates and those who break into mailboxes. Abbott signed House Bill 670, which is a piece of legislature that will prosecute individuals based on the amount of packages they’ve stolen.

There’s been many instances where people post up package theft on social media. The bill is supported by San Antonio representatives who also had been victims of the crime and established a Mail Task Force last year to combat the crimes.

Beginning September 1st, the following offenses will be classified as follows plus a state felony:

Class A Misdemeanor: If the person if found with less than 10 pieces of mail/packages they will be charged $4,000 and up to one year in jail.

State Jail Felony: If the person is found with anywhere from 10 to 30 pieces of mail/packages from different address they will be charged a fine up to $10,000 and up to 180 days in state jail.

Third Degree Felony: If the person is found with over 30 pieces of mail/packages from different addresses, they will be charged up to $10,000 and two to ten years in prison.

If the person found to be targeting victim(s) for identity theft, then it will increase the charges of the offense. Also, it can be increase if the victim(s) are elderly or disabled.

The bill has been supported by Amazon and will be used to lobby in other states to pass similar laws.