Porch pirates could face felony charges if caught in this state

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE/Gray News) – A new law in Kentucky is aimed at deterring and penalizing porch pirates.

According to WAVE, lawmakers had a ceremonial signing Wednesday of Senate Bill 23, which makes stealing packages from private carriers like Amazon, FedEx and UPS off someone’s doorstep a felony.

Packages were not previously afforded the same level of security as U.S. mail. The new law provides officers with another tool to combat package theft rings.

“Kentuckians have been repeatedly victimized and targeted by porch pirates, with important deliveries being stolen like medicine,” Gov. Andy Beshear said. “It’s not just individuals who commit this crime. More and more we are seeing organized groups of individuals who gather stolen packages and then resell them.”

Package theft was previously considered a misdemeanor and it was often never prosecuted. Offenders caught stealing someone else’s delivery risk up to five years in jail.

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