Official Code of Georgia Annotated

Title 16. CRIMES AND OFFENSES · Chapter 8. OFFENSES INVOLVING THEFT · Article 1. THEFT

16-8-24. Theft by possession of stolen mail.

Active

Current through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

(a)
As used in this Code section, the term:#
1. (1)
  “Mail” means a letter, post card, package, bag, or other sealed article that:#
  (A)
  Is delivered by the United States Postal Service, a common carrier, or a delivery service and has not yet been received by the person to whom it is addressed; or#
  (B)
  Has been left in a location to be collected for delivery by the United States Postal Service, a common carrier, or a delivery service.#
2. (2)
  “Possesses stolen mail” means to knowingly receive, retain, possess, conceal, or dispose of stolen mail knowing that it has been stolen and to withhold such stolen mail from the true owner or person to whom the mail is addressed or to appropriate such stolen mail to the use of any person other than the true owner or the person to whom the mail is addressed.#
(b)
A person shall be guilty of the crime of theft by possession of stolen mail if he or she:#
1. (1)
  Possesses stolen mail addressed to three or more different mailboxes or addresses; and#
2. (2)
  Possesses a minimum of ten separate pieces of stolen mail.#
(c)
A person who violates this Code section shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than five years, or, in the discretion of the trial judge, as for a misdemeanor.#
(d)
Each set of ten separate pieces of stolen mail addressed to three or more different mailboxes or addresses constitutes a separate and distinct crime and may be punished accordingly.#
(e)
The fact that the person who stole the mail has not been convicted, apprehended, or identified shall not be a defense to the charge of theft by possession of stolen mail.#

The notes below are printed with the section but are not enacted law (O.C.G.A. § 1-1-1(c)). They are shown apart from the text.

History

Code 1981, § 16-8-24, enacted by Ga. L. 2021, p. 652, § 1/HB 94.

Effective date

This Code section became effective July 1, 2021.

Cross references

Theft or receipt of stolen mail matter generally, 18 U.S.C. § 1708.

Read the official page (the state's PDF, opened at the page this text was read from).

Current through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly.

Text read from t16-ch7-11-(v14a)-pdf.pdf, Volume V14A, 2018 edition, 2025 supplement, pages 44 to 45; merge action: added; file SHA-256 9c8d97e7499f.

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