What Happens To Porch Pirates If and When They Are Caught?
We all have either been a victim of a "porch pirate" or we at least know someone that has. What happens when a porch pirate is caught? What kind of punishment does a convicted porch pirate receive?
It used to be just a misdemeanor in most states in the U.S. but since 2018 eight states have passed laws moving porch piracy from a misdemeanor to a felony and 5 more states have legislation pending to make it a felony.
The eight states that have passed legislation making porch piracy a felony are Texas, Michigan, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, New Jersey and Kentucky. The states where bills are pending are California, New York, South Carolina, Kansas and Missouri.
Most all of these state's bills call for a penalty of up to 5 years in prison with fines ranging from $5000 to $250,000. The fact of the matter is that very few porch pirates are actually apprehended and prosecuted.
It seems like stealing packages of doorsteps is a fairly recent thing but, in fact, porch piracy peaked in 2000 and has been in a steady decline reaching it's lowest point in 2020.
In February, 2022, Minnesota Representative Dean Phillips introduced the PORCH PIRATES ACT of 2022. There is already a federal law on the books that makes stealing mail and packages delivered by the U.S. Postal Service a felony. This bill also makes it a felony to steal packages, etc. delivered by private carriers like UPS, DHL, FedEx and Amazon.