Whoever, being a Postal Service officer or employee, takes or steals any newspaper or package of newspapers from any post office or from any person having custody thereof, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., § 319 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, § 196, 35 Stat. 1126).
Theft provisions alone are retained in this section. Those relating to other offenses were incorporated in section 1703 of this title.
Words “mail or” following “steals any” were omitted as covered by section 1709 of this title.
Changes were made in phraseology.
1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $100”.
1970—Pub. L. 91–375 substituted “Postal Service officer or employee” for “postmaster or Postal Service employee”.
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.
