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 office 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)108 Stat. 2147 (, ; , , .)
Historical and Revision Notes
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 Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 317 (, ; , ; , ; , ).
section 1708 of this titleSection 317 of said title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., was incorporated in this and .
Minor changes were made in phraseology.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
Pub. L. 103–3221994— substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $2,000”.