Prisoners in Mississippi s Parchman Prison used the mail to swindle thousands of dollars from lonely pen pals through a phony money order scheme. Objects on view include correspondence between a prisoner and his pen pal, money orders and forged prison documents. Mayhem by Mail presents objects and evidence to detail two mail bomb cases. Objects include tools used to construct mail bombs, debris specimens from detonated bombs and photographs of crime scenes. This case also highlights the key investigative role of forensic science in catching criminals.
Criminals often use the mail for drug trafficking.
The exhibit features a false-bottom deodorant can and a hollowed book, both used to mail illegal drugs. Protecting the mail Protection of the more than 600 million pieces of mail delivered each day and ensuring the safety of the more than 800,000 Postal Service employees are two top priorities of the service. The inspectors investigate robberies of post offices and postal vehicles, and violent crimes against letter carriers. The exhibit includes the detonator recovered by inspectors, as well as photographs from the crime scene and a wanted poster for the gang. A burned safe, a stolen imprinting machine and forged money orders are among the few remains from the 1997 Loretta, Va., post office attack.