Crime of postal packages, keys and credit cards; authorize additional penalties.

HB 1274 increases penalties for theft involving mail, postal keys, and credit cards/checks in Mississippi. It defines mail theft as stealing, damaging mail or mailboxes, or selling stolen mail, and adds similar rules for stealing or forging mail depository keys/locks. Offenders face up to 5 years in prison or $5,000 fines for first offenses (increasing to 10 years/$20,000 for repeat offenses), plus mandatory restitution to victims. The bill directly affects individuals who commit these specific thefts, including those who steal mail, tamper with postal access points, or handle stolen payment instruments like checks. It establishes these as separate offenses alongside existing laws, not replacing them.