18 usc 1702 letter in mail

A very specific and interesting topic!

18 U.S.C. § 1702 is a federal statute that makes it a crime to willfully and knowingly make or cause to be made a false statement or representation in a letter or other document that is intended to be used as evidence in a judicial proceeding.

The statute reads:

"Whoever, having the custody of any record, proceeding, or other document or material evidence, or any copy thereof, willfully and knowingly makes or causes to be made any false entry or alteration therein, or willfully and knowingly makes or causes to be made any false statement or representation in any affidavit, declaration, verification, or deposition, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."

In the context of a letter in the mail, this statute would likely apply if someone were to send a letter that contains false information or misrepresentations, with the intention of using that letter as evidence in a court case. For example, if someone were to send a letter to a judge or a court clerk claiming to be a witness to a crime, but the letter contained false information, they could be charged with violating this statute.

It's worth noting that this statute is not limited to letters in the mail, but can apply to any document or record that is intended to be used as evidence in a judicial proceeding.