Printer-friendly version

UNITED STATES POSTAL INSPECTION SERVICE

The United States Postal Inspection Service is the law enforcement, crime prevention and security arm of the U.S. Postal Service. It safeguards more than 212 billion pieces of mail each year.  Tracing its roots to Benjamin Franklin and empowered by the Congress, the Postal Inspection Service is one of the country’s oldest federal law enforcement agencies.   

History:

• In 1772, Postmaster General Benjamin Franklin created the position of surveyor because he could no longer single-handedly regulate and audit postal functions. This title was later changed to special agent.
• Through the 19th century, the role of special agent evolved beyond the primary duty of ensuring the successful transportation of mail. By the mid 1800s, Postal Inspectors were playing an active role in criminal investigations and law enforcement.
• In 1880, Congress established the title of Chief Postal Inspector and special agents became inspectors.
• In 1916, the USPIS helped solve the last known stagecoach robbery, apprehending the bandits within five days of the crime.
• In 1941, Postal Inspectors organized the mail system for the military during World War II. The system was so efficient that front-line troops received regular mail delivery.

Today:

• The Postal Inspection Service has some 1,600 Postal Inspectors nationwide.
• Postal Inspectors are federal law enforcement officers who carry firearms, make arrests, execute federal search warrants, and serve subpoenas to enforce the roughly 200 federal laws linked to adversely affecting or entailing fraudulent use of the U.S. Mail and postal system.
• In fiscal year 2006, Postal Inspectors made almost 9,000 arrests for crimes ranging from mail fraud and money laundering to illegal drug trafficking and child exploitation.
• The USPIS operates a National Forensic Laboratory in Dulles, VA, that is staffed by forensic scientists and technical specialists skilled at analyzing evidence that tracks criminal suspects.

High Level Arrests/Assignments:

• In the mid-20th century, Postal Inspectors were assigned to the White House to travel with the President and oversee the dispatch, delivery and protection of the President’s mail – including the use of a special White House mailbag.
• In November 1958, famed American jeweler Harry Winston donated the Hope diamond to the Smithsonian Institution. The exquisite blue diamond was placed in a package and sent by registered mail. Postal inspectors ensured that the gem arrived safely. The price paid for shipping the gem, valued at $1 million at the time, was $145.29, most of that for the package’s insurance.
• In 1972, Postal Inspectors proved that a handwritten note giving Clifford Irving exclusive rights to write Howard Hughes’ biography was a fraud. The note, allegedly written by the reclusive billionaire himself, was used in an attempt to defraud two major publishing companies of several hundred thousand dollars.
• In 1991, the Postal Inspection Service broke up a worldwide art fraud ring that marketed bogus paintings purported to be by such renowned artists as Salvador Dali, Joan Miro and Pablo Picasso.
• In 2000, the Postal Inspection Service led the way in the disruption of the Landslide Productions worldwide network through which images and videos of child pornography were made available through the mail and over the Internet.
• The Postal Inspection Service was one of the lead agencies in the “Safe Roads” investigation that resulted in the conviction of former Illinois Governor George Ryan of mail fraud.
• In 2006, the Postal Inspection Service also played a key role in Operation Global Con, cited by the Department of Justice as “the largest and most far-reaching multi-national enforcement operation ever directed at mass-marketing fraud schemes.”  Postal Inspectors were integral to the success which yielded 96 investigations and the identification of 2.8 million victims, who suffered losses of more than $1 billion.
• As a member of the Department of Justice’s Hurricane Katrina Fraud Task Force, the Postal Inspection Service has investigated over 250 false claims for relief that were submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state government agencies during the Katrina aftermath. These investigations have resulted in 181 indictments, 188 arrests, and 141 criminal convictions in the two years since the devastating storm.