United States Postal Service § 233.2
233.5 Requesting financial records from a fi- (c) Issuance of subpoenas. (1) In ac- nancial institution. cordance with part 273 of this chapter, 233.6 Test purchases under 39 U.S.C. 3005(e). the Chief Postal Inspector may issue 233.7 Forfeiture authority and procedures. subpoenas under the Program Fraud 233.8 Expedited forfeiture proceedings for Civil Remedies Act. property seized for administrative for- feiture involving controlled substances (2) In accordance with the Inspector in personal use quantities. General Act of 1978, the Chief Postal 233.9 Expedited release of conveyances Inspector may issue subpoenas to per- being forfeited in a judicial forfeiture sons or entities other than Federal proceeding for a drug-related offense. agencies for the production of informa- 233.10 Notice provisions. tion, documents, reports, answers, 233.11 Mail reasonably suspected of being records, accounts, papers, and other dangerous to persons or property. data and documentary evidence nec- 233.12 Civil penalties. essary in the performance of functions AUTHORITY: 39 U.S.C. 101, 102, 202, 204, 401, assigned by the Inspector General Act. 402, 403, 404, 406, 410, 411, 1003, 3005(e)(1); 12 (3) The Chief Postal Inspector hereby U.S.C. 3401–3422; 18 U.S.C. 981, 1956, 1957, 2254, delegates authority to sign and issue 3061; 21 U.S.C. 881; Omnibus Budget Rec- onciliation Act of 1996, sec. 662 (Pub. L. No. administrative subpoenas to the fol- 104–208). lowing officials: Deputy Chief Inspec- tors; Managers, Inspection Service Op- § 233.1 Arrest and investigative powers erations Support Group; and Inspector of Postal Inspectors. in Charge—Internal Affairs. (a) Authorization. Postal Inspectors (4) Administrative subpoenas may be are authorized to perform the following served by delivering a copy to a person functions in connection with their offi- or by mailing a copy to his or her last cial duties: known address. For the purposes of (1) Serve warrants and subpoenas this provision, delivery of a copy in- issued under the authority of the cludes handing it to the party or leav- United States; ing it at the party’s office or residence (2) Make arrests without warrant for with a person of suitable age and dis- offenses against the United States cretion employed or residing therein. committed in their presence; Service by mail is complete upon mail- (3) Make arrests without warrant for ing. felonies cognizable under the laws of (d) In conducting any investigation the United States if they have reason- or audit, Postal Inspectors are author- able grounds to believe that the person ized to accept, maintain custody of, to be arrested has committed or is and deliver mail. committing such a felony; [36 FR 4762, Mar. 12, 1971, as amended at 38 (4) Carry firearms; and FR 19124, July 18, 1973. Redesignated at 46 FR (5) Make seizures of property as pro- 34330, July 1, 1981; 52 FR 12901, Apr. 20, 1987; vided by law. 56 FR 55823, Oct. 30, 1991; 60 FR 5581, Jan. 30, (b) Limitations. The powers granted 1995] by paragraph (a) of this section shall be exercised only— § 233.2 Circulars and rewards. (1) In the enforcement of laws regard- (a) Wanted circulars. The Inspection ing property in the custody of the Service issues wanted circulars to as- Postal Service, property of the Postal sist in locating and arresting fugitive Service, the use of the mails, and other postal offenders. Post these circulars in postal offenses; and the most conspicuous place in the post (2) To the extent authorized by the office lobby and in other prominent Attorney General pursuant to agree- places. Post near the Notice of Reward ment between the Attorney General sign. Telephone or telegraph imme- and the Postal Service, in the enforce- diately to the postal inspector in ment of other laws of the United charge any information on the possible States, if the Attorney General deter- location of the person wanted. Remove mines that the violation of such laws and destroy circulars immediately will have a detrimental effect upon the when notified of their cancellation or operations of the Postal Service. when the circular is not listed in the
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periodic Postal Bulletin notices of cur- Assault on Postal Employees, $50,000. Forc- rent wanted circulars. ibly assaulting any officer or employee of (b) Rewards. (1) Rewards will be paid the Postal Service while engaged in or on ac- in the amounts and under the condi- count of the performance of their official du- ties. tions stated in Poster 296, Notice of Re- Bombs or Explosives, $100,000. Mailing or ward, for the arrest and conviction of causing to be mailed any bombs or explo- persons for the following postal of- sives which may kill or harm another, or in- fenses: jure the mails or other property, or the plac- (i) Robbery or attempted robbery. ing of any bomb or explosive in a postal fa- (ii) Mailing bombs, explosives, poi- cility, vehicle, depository or receptacle es- son, or controlled substances. tablished, approved or designated by the Postmaster General for the receipt of mail. (iii) Post office burglary. Postage or Meter Tampering, $50,000. The (iv) Stealing or unlawful possession unlawful use, reuse, or forgery of postage of mail or money or property of the stamps, postage meter stamps, permit im- United States under the custody or prints or other postage; or the use, sale or control of the Postal Service, including possession with intent to use or sell, any property of the Postal Service. used, forged or counterfeited postage stamps (v) Destroying, obstructing or retard- or other postage. Robbery, $50,000. Robbery or attempted ing the passage of mail. robbery of any custodian of any mail, or (vi) Altering, counterfeiting, forging, money or other property of the United unlawful uttering or passing of postal States under the control and jurisdiction of money orders; or the unlawful use, the United States Postal Service. counterfeiting or forgery of postage Burglary of Post Office, $10,000. Breaking stamps or other postage; or the use, into, or attempting to break into, a post of- sale or possession with intent to use or fice, station, branch, building used wholly or partly as a post office, or any building or sell, any forged or counterfeited post- area in a building where the business of the age stamp or other postage. Postal Service is conducted, with intent to (vii) Assault on postal employee. commit a larceny or other depredation (viii) Murder or manslaughter of a therein. postal employee. Money Laundering, $10,000. Mailing or (ix) Mailing or receiving through the causing to be mailed any money which has mail any visual depiction involving the been illegally obtained. use of a minor engaging in sexually ex- Offenses Involving Postal Money Orders, $10,000. Theft or possession of stolen money plicit conduct. orders or any Postal Service equipment used (x) Mailing or causing to be mailed to imprint money orders; or altering, coun- any money which has been obtained il- terfeiting, forging, unlawful uttering, or legally. passing of postal money orders. (2) The postmaster or a designated Theft, Possession, Destruction, or Obstruc- employee should personally present re- tion of Mail, $10,000. Theft or attempted ward notices to representatives of theft of any mail, or the contents thereof, or the theft of money or any other property of firms transporting mail, security or de- the United States under the custody and tective units of firms, police officers, control of the United States Postal Service sheriffs and their deputies, if prac- from any custodian, postal vehicle, railroad ticable, and encourage their coopera- depot, airport, or other transfer point, post tion in protecting mail and Postal office or station or receptacle or depository Service property. (See 273.14 of the Ad- established, approved, or designated by the ministrative Support Manual). Postmaster General for the receipt of mail; or destroying, obstructing, or retarding the NOTE: The text of Poster 296, referred to in passage of mail, or any carrier or conveyance paragraph (b)(1) of this section, reads as fol- carrying the mail. lows: Child Pornography, $50,000. The mailing or The United States Postal Service offers a receiving through the mail of any visual de- reward up to the amounts shown for informa- piction involving the use of a minor engag- tion and services leading to the arrest and ing in sexually explicit conduct. conviction of any person for the following of- Poison, Controlled Dangerous Substances, fenses: Hazardous Materials, Illegal Drugs, or Cash Murder or Manslaughter, $100,000. The un- Proceeds from Illegal Drugs, $50,000. Mailing lawful killing of any officer or employee of or causing to be mailed any poison, con- the Postal Service while engaged in or on ac- trolled substances, hazardous materials, ille- count of the performance of their official du- gal drugs, or the proceeds from the sale of il- ties. legal drugs.
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RELATED OFFENSES not establish a contractual right to re- The United States Postal Service also of- ceive any reward. The reward shall not fers rewards as stated above for information exceed one-half of the amount col- and services leading to the arrest and convic- lected by the Postal Service as a result tion of any person: (1) For being an accessory of civil or criminal proceedings to re- to any of the above crimes; (2) for receiving cover losses or penalties as a result of or having unlawful possession of any mail, money or property secured through the false or fraudulent claims or state- above crimes; and (3) for conspiracy to com- ments submitted to the Postal Service. mit any of the above crimes. Postal employees assigned to the Post- al Inspection Service or the Law De- GENERAL PROVISIONS partment are not eligible to receive a 1. The Postal Inspection Service inves- reward under this section for informa- tigates the above described crimes. Informa- tion obtained while so employed. The tion concerning the violations, requests for Chief Inspector may establish such pro- applications for rewards, and written claims cedures and forms as may be desirable for rewards should be furnished to the near- est Postal Inspector. The written claim for to give effect to this section including reward payment must be submitted within procedures to protect the identity of six months from the date of conviction of the persons claiming rewards under this offender, or the date of formally deferred section. prosecution or the date of the offender’s death, if killed in committing a crime or re- [36 FR 4673, Mar. 12, 1971, as amended at 42 sisting lawful arrest for one of the above of- FR 43836, Aug. 31, 1977. Redesignated at 46 FR fenses. 34330, July 1, 1981, and amended at 47 FR 2. The amount of any reward will be based 26832, June 22, 1982; 47 FR 46498, Oct. 19, 1982; on the significance of services rendered, 49 FR 15191, Apr. 18, 1984; 54 FR 37795, Sept. character of the offender, risks and hazards 13, 1989; 55 FR 32251, Aug. 8, 1990; 59 FR 5326, involved, time spent, and expenses incurred. Feb. 4, 1994; 60 FR 54305, Oct. 23, 1995; 63 FR Amounts of rewards shown above are the 52160, Sept. 30, 1998] maximum amounts which will be paid. 3. The term ‘‘custodian’’ as used herein in- § 233.3 Mail covers. cludes any person having lawful charge, con- trol, or custody of any mail matter, or any (a) Policy. The U.S. Postal Service money or other property of the United maintains rigid control and supervision States under the control and jurisdiction of with respect to the use of mail covers the United States Postal Service. as an investigative technique for law 4. The Postal Service reserves the right to enforcement or the protection of na- reject a claim for reward where there has been collusion, criminal involvement, or im- tional security. proper methods have been used to effect an (b) Scope. These regulations con- arrest or to secure a conviction. It has the stitute the sole authority and proce- right to allow only one reward when several dure for initiating a mail cover, and for persons were convicted of the same offense, processing, using and disclosing infor- or one person was convicted of several of the mation obtained from mail covers. above offenses. 5. Other rewards not specifically referred (c) Definitions. For purpose of these to in this notice may be offered upon the ap- regulations, the following terms are proval of the Chief Postal Inspection (39 hereby defined. U.S.C. 404 (a)(8). (1) Mail cover is the process by which (c) The Chief Postal Inspector or his a nonconsensual record is made of any delegate is authorized to pay a reward data appearing on the outside cover of to any person who provides informa- any sealed or unsealed class of mail tion leading to the detection of persons matter, or by which a record is made of or firms who obtain, or seek to obtain, the contents of any unsealed class of funds, property, or services from the mail matter as allowed by law, to ob- Postal Service based upon false or tain information in order to: fraudulent activities, statements or (i) Protect national security, claims. The decision as to whether a (ii) Locate a fugitive, reward shall be paid and the amount (iii) Obtain evidence of commission thereof shall be solely within the dis- or attempted commission of a crime, cretion of the Chief Postal Inspector or (iv) Obtain evidence of a violation or his delegate and the submission of in- attempted violation of a postal statute, formation or a claim for a reward shall or
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