Roommate shipped stuff and it got flagged by USPS

I posted this to r/ legaladvice and they told me to post here...

My roommate mailed a package from CO to CT that had cannabis in it. It was flagged by the postal service. She was told that they would attempt to deliver it in CT and 10 min after she signed for it, the police would come. She was told all of this by a friend who is a postal worker that checked on the status of the package when it didn't arrive as expected.

She said that they would then send the package back to the return address (where I am) if no one signed for it in CT. My name is nowhere on the package. I will not sign for it.

What do I do next? I have cannabis in the house, legal in the state. Should I remove this from my house anyway?

What are the chances of cops coming to search my house in CO with a warrant? The roommate is in CT for a month.

Any insight is appreciated!!!

Thank you!

Edit: r/ legaladvice warned me you guys on this subreddit might make fun of me for my questions, but you've all been nice and helpful. So...thanks!


Comments


[13 Points] endedbytheknife:

did your "room mate" ship it via express? if not, then no signature would be required. LE is random to where they do not always deliver and ask for signature. They sometimes just deliver it and watch mailbox to see if someone takes possesion of it. If it's an apartment complex, where usps might leave it at the door step/leasing office, then they might put a alarm in it.

Typcially, though, we've seen scenarios where mailing from legal to other states got love letters, aka letters from LEO stating that the package was interdicted and would be destoryed if not apealed. I don't know what the rule is when it comes from one legal state to another, but cannabis is not legal under the federal rule. And since USPS is a federal branch, this could and most likely will be a federall offense if they persue it.

Cleaning house, getting rid of all drugs and paraphenelia is recommended for states where it's not legal. In your case, it might not make a difference because it's legal to posses understate law.

Who's name was on the package both from and to? If it's not under either one of your names, you and roomie, then clean house and just wait it out.

also, anyhing you read here is not legal advice; just people expressing their experience and opinions.

If anything comes of this, LEO knocks or detains you, keep your mouth shut. Don't even say Hi, just that you want legal counsel. They are LEO, not Officers of the court, so they cannot do anything for you. They just want to close their case and tell you whatever you need to hear to do that. Remember, they can lie to you and get away, where as you cannot lie to them. That's why keep your mouth close.


[3 Points] diOpAnonMu:

How much more cannabis than the legal limit do you have? Would it be legal if it were split in half and placed in the missing person's room? Can you communicate with this roommate over an encrypted channel like Signal to coordinate moving the contraband?

If you have significantly more than is legal, make sure you aren't caught with guns or paraphernalia like baggies, scales, or other scheduled substances.

Worst case, you should be fine since it's not your name so long as your fingerprints aren't on the package. If they are, you still might be fine if your lawyer can argue you touched the package without knowing its contents.


[3 Points] None:

[deleted]


[3 Points] bootyhumper:

/r/legaladvice sucks. if you actually did something wrong they'll treat you like shit and say u deserved it, without giving any legal advice.


[2 Points] rdnmshit:

someone is lying to you or to your friend or both.


[2 Points] Chabfita:

One of the more interesting stories I've read here in a long time. Please keep us posted no matter what, but here's my questions.

  1. How well do you know this postal worker?
  2. Is the post office worker black?
  3. Is it possible the PO Worker stole your package, then told you this so you'll just be happy you didn't get arrested when it doesnt show?

My vote is really on this PO worker being shady tbh. If he is a regular deliver guy, I don't know how the fuck he would know that a CD is about to go down, if you check the other AMA by the postal worker from like a couple days ago, he said at most once they're on the route, the police will call them and tell them to not be on that street right before it goes down.

Please update us regardless!! And for the record, I wouldn't worry. It sounds like you had nothing to do with this, and like another post said, your roommates name on the return address, as well as her plane tickets she bought will reflect that if anything.


[2 Points] _Dreadz:

to be safe you need to scrub anything that has to do with weed, texts, emails, facebook.. anything that can show you have given weed ( some people think that you cant get in trouble if you dont charge a price and while state wise you may be under that protection as soon as that pack crossed that imaginary border line you stepped up to a federal investigator and what protections you have under your states medical license WILL NOT hold up) sold weed, donated, anything to do with the movement of product could technically be used as conspiracy charge plenty of people are doing a lot of time without doing nothing more then planing the movement. Just becuase your name isnt on the package doesnt make you in the clear when you have data that you can be linked to ( LEO has ways around getting someone who simply didnt put their name.. thats the oldest trick in the book lmao).

how do i know all this? Someone in Cali went down exactly like this. THey build a case on him for over a year so there was no plausible deniability. They used texts and social media to build a picture of him and his activities and used the package that wasnt in his name ( it was still has address) to show that he was the one who sent the package and tried to manipulate the postal system and providing false information to further his "empire" lmao. Not trying to scare you just letting you know he thought he was all good behind his medical card ( he even had the upgraded card) and name change you never should have used your address if you are involved in the game. Would you want it up to a jury or a judge to decide if you were the one who sent the package and simply changed a name? You can deny it if your clean but they will look and try and latch onto anything to get a hold. be safe bro


[2 Points] Sourcery_Market:

One thing to keep in mind is that while weed may be legal in your state, weed is not legal at the federal level. Obviously given USPS is involved, if there is an "investigation", it'll be at the federal level. Its hard to tell how the weed in your home would be handled by the feds. LIke I said, weed is not legal at the federal level, so keep that in mind when thinking of what to do/how to handle.

The signature component isn't absolutely necessary either. In other words, if LE were indeed pursuing you, a signature may not be "required" for their warrant - its usually about possession. Getting a signature is just one way for them to make sure you take possession of the pack. So what this basically means is that in the event they are pursuing you and they leave the pack in your mailbox, don't rely on the fact that you didnt' sign to necessarily protect you. Like I said, its about possession. So be careful in handling it/picking it up if it is in fact returned to sender.

Here's the thing, if anything happens, you need a lawyer. Bottom line. You might want to be ready with at least a name so if you are popped, you are prepared. Don't wait until the last minute to find Saul Goodman. I'd have one ready or at least a name that you can call.

At this point, the best you can do is to understand your rights. Especially understand your right to remain silent. Don't deny even. You need to assert your right against providing incriminating testimony against yourself. This means you don't confess, you don't deny, you lawyer up. That simple.

Be safe, I hope everything works out for you. At this point, its out of your control. What you need to make sure you do is completely understand your rights, understand that you need to lawyer up and shut up should LE come knocking and often in these cases, the old saying applies: "You may beat the rap but you won't beat the ride." If shit hits the fan, don't panic over the "ride", you need to understand you'll be playing the long game - which is to stay out of prison. It may mean you get arrested and such, BUT don't let that prevent you from getting a lawyer and doing it the right way.


[1 Points] Anotherwonton:

How do you know it was flagged what does the tracking info say?


[1 Points] _Dreadz:

also how was the package sent out? Is there video there or at any buisness around the shipping spot? they will also look at the CCTV from surrounding buildings if the actual spot doesnt have one.. even if you are seperated from this step thats putting full confidence in the person you paid to do it to no snitch on you. Was it a good amount as in bulk or more on a personal level?