Destroy Mailboxes With A Vehicle

••• Ratana21/iStock/GettyImages

But 2 people are permitted to access federally approved mailboxes: the intended mail recipient, and employees of the Usa Postal Service (USPS). Intentionally vandalizing or causing impairment to a USPS mailbox is a federal offense and tin pb to financial penalties, jail time and hours of customs service.

Financial Penalties

According to the United states Postal service, a single act of intentionally vandalizing a USPS canonical post box is punishable by fines of upwards to $250,000 in federal fines. Also, because most cities, counties and states have their own laws in place regarding vandalism to public and private property, additional fines may exist imposed based upon the laws of the expanse in which the vandalism to the mailbox occurred. In addition, the accused, if found guilty, may be ordered to reimburse the individual or business for the cost of the mailbox of which they destroyed too as any additional belongings impairment that may have been caused every bit role of the vandalism.

Jail Time

Under federal law, anyone convicted of vandalism of a federally approved public or private mailbox may be sentenced upward to 3 years for each act of vandalism. In add-on, much similar the ceremonious penalties imposed, cities, counties and states have laws in place against the destruction or vandalism of mailboxes, which may carry additional criminal penalties. Depending on the amount of the damage washed as a outcome of the vandalism, perpetrators may be charged with additional misdemeanor or felony charges ranging from criminal mischief to felony destruction of private property, which can deport boosted sentencing terms of upward to and over one yr in jail.

Community Service

In addition to civil and criminal penalties, tampering with or vandalizing federal mailboxes may result in required hours of community service. Those found guilty may exist sentenced to duties such every bit picking upwards litter on the side of the road, working in community-based service projects or volunteering in local hospitals. The length of community service hours required will vary based upon city, state and county laws in the community in which the vandalism occurred and can range from several days to several months of unpaid labor, and is often ordered to assistance fulfill the requirements of probation or parole.

Tips

Anyone convicted of vandalism of a federally approved public or private mailbox may be fined upwardly to $250,000, or imprisoned up to three years, or both.