Don't Use the Mail

It must have seemed like a good plan. Instead of risking the drive from Texas to Wisconsin with your drugs, just let the US Mail do it for you. By sending small amounts to different addresses, no one “catch” would affect your operation much. Plus, you save all that gas money and the chances someone will slip up. Charges filed last week show just how bad the idea turned out to be.

The principals, three residents of Milwaukee, face up to 44 years and $5 million in fines. Why so much? Well, shipping illegal substances through the mail comes at a price. And doing it multiple times, since 2010, just adds more counts to the indictment. The other six charged in the case also face felonies for drug conspiracy.

The case was a combined effort of local law enforcement and the Postal Inspection Service. Perhaps they didn’t know the Post Office has their own police force. One of their responsibilities is to intercept mail containing banned substances. In this case, over time, the defendants are alleged to have mailed more than 200 pounds of marijuana from Houston to the Milwaukee area.

Postal Inspectors are empowered to not only open and inspect mail, but also to allow contraband to be delivered – specifically so they can get a signature or identify the recipient. From there, it’s just a matter of watching and keeping track. As the amounts and the criminal charges build up, eventually you get a solid case and a multiple decade conviction.

So, mailing drugs is a bad idea. But what’s a dealer with few resources to do? Maybe find another line of work.

Interestingly, the Post Office follows federal law, so even in states where medical marijuana is legal, it is still against the law to put it in the mail. As soon as the package is handed off to Post Office personnel, it becomes a crime. The best bet is to ask. You cannot be arrested simply for asking what is permissible to mail and what isn’t.