§ 1721. — Sale or pledge of stamps.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 18USC1721]
TITLE 18--CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I--CRIMES
CHAPTER 83--POSTAL SERVICE
Sec. 1721. Sale or pledge of stamps
Whoever, being a Postal Service officer or employee, knowingly and
willfully: uses or disposes of postage stamps, stamped envelopes, or
postal cards entrusted to his care or custody in the payment of debts,
or in the purchase of merchandise or other salable articles, or pledges
or hypothecates the same or sells or disposes of them except for cash;
or sells or disposes of postage stamps or postal cards for any larger or
less sum than the values indicated on their faces; or sells or disposes
of stamped envelopes for a larger or less sum than is charged therefor
by the Postal Service for like quantities; or sells or disposes of
postage stamps, stamped envelopes, or postal cards at any point or place
outside of the delivery of the office where such officer or employee is
employed; or for the purpose of increasing the emoluments, or
compensation of any such officer or employee, inflates or induces the
inflation of the receipts of any post office or any station or branch
thereof; or sells or disposes of postage stamps, stamped envelopes, or
postal cards, otherwise than as provided by law or the regulations of
the Postal Service; shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not
more than one year, or both.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 783; Aug. 1, 1956, ch. 818, 70 Stat.
784; Pub. L. 91-375, Sec. 6(j)(29), Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 780; Pub. L.
103-322, title XXXIII, Sec. 330016(1)(G), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat.
2147.)
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on section 331 of title 18 and section 364 of title 39, The
Postal Service, both U.S.C., 1940 ed. (R.S. Sec. 3920; Mar. 4, 1909, ch.
321, Sec. 208, 35 Stat. 1128).
Said sections were consolidated with only minor changes in
phraseology.
Reference to persons causing or procuring was omitted as unnecessary
in view of definition of ``principal'' in section 2 of this title.
Amendments
1994--Pub. L. 103-322 substituted ``fined under this title'' for
``fined not more than $500''.
1970--Pub. L. 91-375 substituted ``Postal Service officer or
employee'' for ``postmaster or postal service employee'', ``Postal
Service'' for ``Post Office Department'' in two places, ``officer or
employee'' for ``postmaster or other person'', and ``any such officer or
employee'' for ``the postmaster or any employee of a post office or
station or branch thereof'', respectively.
1956--Act Aug. 1, 1956, broadened the class of postal employees
subject to penalties prescribed by this section and broadened the
prohibition to include the inflation of receipts by means other than the
disposing of stamps, stamped envelopes, or postal cards.
Effective Date of 1970 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 91-375 effective within 1 year after Aug. 12,
1970, on date established therefor by Board of Governors of United
States Postal Service and published by it in Federal Register, see
section 15(a) of Pub. L. 91-375, set out as an Effective Date note
preceding section 101 of Title 39, Postal Service.
