4 ms·

Yep, don't fuck with Postal Inspectors. Anecdotal, second-hand story I remembered being told by a former colleague with some significant time working in the Po

Yep, don't fuck with Postal Inspectors. Anecdotal, second-hand story I remembered being told by a former colleague with some significant time working in the Postal service: state or city police pulled over a contracted semi truck carrying mail from one station to the other on suspicion of running un-taxed cigarette shipments from a reservation manufacturer. Because the semi was contracted by the postal service, they had the requisite security: tags, seals and the magical panic button in the cab of the tractor. The driver pushed the button when the state/city police broke the seal and started rummaging through parcels which summoned the inspectors, guns drawn to the scene. Apparently the Postal Inspectors arrested the -police- at that scene on breaking and entering mail facilities. Some of the details pertaining to why the shipment was actually legal and the police didn't have cause/jurisdiction yadda yadda yadda I don't remember, but still a good story even if the telling of it by my former colleague was more engaging than I can recount.

Arrath 3y ago
That reminds me of a story from a good friend who works in the Idaho National Labs, which have some areas under rather tight security. As the story goes, one of the scientists there copped a warrant high grade enough for the Federal Marshals to come by and make an arrest. They were stopped at one of the gates into a more secure area, asked their business, and told that security would send out the person in question. The Marshals balked at this and demanded to be let in to make the arrest, lest the fugitive make good an escape somehow. After security asked for their requisite clearance, which the Marshals could not provide, it continued to escalate. Fingering their pistol butts, the Marshals insisted they were on lawful business and must be let in, while the guards with rifles replied that by all means the Marshals might make their entry but as armed intruders into a secure laboratory they would promptly get shot. The pissing match took long enough that the fugitive was finally marched up to the gate and taken into custody before it could escalate further, at this point I believe the Marshals were on the phone with their higher ups trying to plead their case to be let in.
- kens 3y ago
  The version of that story that I read is much longer, by Funranium Labs. It is entertainingly written, but I wonder how much is urban legend: https://www.funraniumlabs.com/2018/09/the-fringes-of-regulation/ https://www.funraniumlabs.com/2018/09/the-fringes-of-regulat...
  - floren 3y ago
    Boy, that's a level of "sysadmin read too many BOFH stories and also thinks being 5'11" & bearded is a superpower" bombast I thought died out years ago.
    - IggleSniggle 3y ago
      Bombastics never die! They simply fade away...
marcus0x62 3y ago
Quite a bit more boring, but a co-worker once paid a contractor to install some blinds in his house, for a few thousand dollars. Dude took a down payment and then never delivered/installed the product, wouldn’t return their calls, etc. My coworker went to the local police, who wouldn’t do anything, but then his lawyer advised him to go to the postal inspector (he had mailed the check to the contractor.) The contractor ended up getting five years in federal prison for mail fraud.
- tpmx 3y ago
  The US justice system seems very odd to this European. Then I realize that if the EU project ever were to reach its presumed goals (by some), we'd probably end up with something pretty similar in terms of "oddness complexity".
  - cryptonector 3y ago
    I'd say you're already there.
    - tpmx 3y ago
      In terms of law enforcement: I disagree. It's like 97% national still. In terms of civil disputes between citizens from different member countries - well, we don't have any phone/internet/post police.
      - cryptonector 3y ago
        But you have the European arrest warrant now, right? So it may all be national, but also kinda international.
  - marcus0x62 3y ago
    Oh, it is absolutely wild, which I don't think is a very good characteristic for a legal system, especially one where the rule is that 'ignorance of the law is not a defense'.
spandrew 3y ago
Or... do? 77k fine for a net worth of $10-14 million from his businesses, and a 5 years sentence at a minimum security prison (with the likelihood of parole much earlier) is not a bad retirement plan.
- tacon 3y ago
  There is no parole in the Federal prison system.

Arrath 3y ago

That reminds me of a story from a good friend who works in the Idaho National Labs, which have some areas under rather tight security. As the story goes, one of the scientists there copped a warrant high grade enough for the Federal Marshals to come by and make an arrest. They were stopped at one of the gates into a more secure area, asked their business, and told that security would send out the person in question. The Marshals balked at this and demanded to be let in to make the arrest, lest the fugitive make good an escape somehow. After security asked for their requisite clearance, which the Marshals could not provide, it continued to escalate. Fingering their pistol butts, the Marshals insisted they were on lawful business and must be let in, while the guards with rifles replied that by all means the Marshals might make their entry but as armed intruders into a secure laboratory they would promptly get shot. The pissing match took long enough that the fugitive was finally marched up to the gate and taken into custody before it could escalate further, at this point I believe the Marshals were on the phone with their higher ups trying to plead their case to be let in.

kens 3y ago
The version of that story that I read is much longer, by Funranium Labs. It is entertainingly written, but I wonder how much is urban legend: https://www.funraniumlabs.com/2018/09/the-fringes-of-regulation/ https://www.funraniumlabs.com/2018/09/the-fringes-of-regulat...
- floren 3y ago
  Boy, that's a level of "sysadmin read too many BOFH stories and also thinks being 5'11" & bearded is a superpower" bombast I thought died out years ago.
  - IggleSniggle 3y ago
    Bombastics never die! They simply fade away...

marcus0x62 3y ago

Quite a bit more boring, but a co-worker once paid a contractor to install some blinds in his house, for a few thousand dollars. Dude took a down payment and then never delivered/installed the product, wouldn’t return their calls, etc. My coworker went to the local police, who wouldn’t do anything, but then his lawyer advised him to go to the postal inspector (he had mailed the check to the contractor.) The contractor ended up getting five years in federal prison for mail fraud.

tpmx 3y ago
The US justice system seems very odd to this European. Then I realize that if the EU project ever were to reach its presumed goals (by some), we'd probably end up with something pretty similar in terms of "oddness complexity".
- cryptonector 3y ago
  I'd say you're already there.
  - tpmx 3y ago
    In terms of law enforcement: I disagree. It's like 97% national still. In terms of civil disputes between citizens from different member countries - well, we don't have any phone/internet/post police.
    - cryptonector 3y ago
      But you have the European arrest warrant now, right? So it may all be national, but also kinda international.
- marcus0x62 3y ago
  Oh, it is absolutely wild, which I don't think is a very good characteristic for a legal system, especially one where the rule is that 'ignorance of the law is not a defense'.

spandrew 3y ago

Or... do? 77k fine for a net worth of $10-14 million from his businesses, and a 5 years sentence at a minimum security prison (with the likelihood of parole much earlier) is not a bad retirement plan.

tacon 3y ago
There is no parole in the Federal prison system.