Obstruction of correspondence
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
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, , or destroys the same, shall be or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
History: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 778 (PDF, 39 MB); Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(I), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147 (PDF, 52 MB).)
Simplified explanation
It is a federal crime to take a letter or package from a post office, mailbox, or mail carrier before delivery to block someone's mail or pry into their business or secrets, or to open, hide, steal, or destroy it.