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benjamin franklin is known for a lot of
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things
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he was a printer ran a newspaper
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was a postmaster and of course we can
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all picture him flying in kite
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he was a statesman and one of the
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founding fathers of our country
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but what you probably didn't know was
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that franklin was responsible
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for starting the nation's first and
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oldest federal law enforcement agency
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the united states postal inspection
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service
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let's take a look at the history of this
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great organization
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way back in 1737 when franklin was the
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postmaster at philadelphia
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he was assigned the additional duties of
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regulating the several post offices
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and bringing the officers to account
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this was the forerunner of the duties of
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a postal inspector
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when franklin became the first
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postmaster general under the continental
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congress
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he couldn't take care of his duty
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anymore so he appointed william goddard
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as the first surveyor of the new
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american postal service
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august 7th 1775
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the earliest reported date goddard
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served as surveyor
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is established as the birth date of the
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postal inspection service
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surveyors became the first postal
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inspectors and also began
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investigating thefts of mail or postal
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funds
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often by a writer innkeeper or other
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person entrusted with the mail
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in 1792 postal crimes were considered
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serious offenses
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and congress imposed the death penalty
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for stealing mail
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[Music]
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in 1801 the title of surveyor was
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changed to special agent
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there were only about three special
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agents at this time
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and one of them was noah webster you may
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have heard of him
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he compiled a dictionary
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during the war of 1812 special agents
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observed and reported on movements of
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the british fleet
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on the potomac river in 1835
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preston s lawbro was placed in charge of
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a new investigative branch of the post
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office department
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the office of instructions and male
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depredations
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he is considered to be the first chief
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postal inspector
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in the 1840s special agents were sent to
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texas
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oregon and california to oversee the
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establishment
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of new mail services
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1853 as the country expanded westward
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the number of special agents grew to 18.
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assigned to specific territories they
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reported on the conditions of steamboats
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of stage coaches railroads
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and other conveyances used to transport
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the mail
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during the civil war david b parker
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supervised the transportation and
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delivery of mail to union troops
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parker who became a special agent and
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later chief inspector
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re-established mail service as southern
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state's return to the union
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in 1861 alan pinkerton
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another post office special agent became
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lincoln's head of security
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and was instrumental in founding the u.s
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secret service
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after the civil war congress enacted two
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major statues that postal inspectors use
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to this day
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first was the mail fraud statute in 1872
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which was used to combat a rash of
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swindles by mail that erupted after the
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civil war
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then in 1873 the postal obscenity
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statute came into existence
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based on the urging of special agent
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anthony comstock
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by 1873 there were 63 special agents who
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were assigned to six divisions
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each headed up by a special agent in
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charge
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1880 marked another title change special
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agents became known as post office
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inspectors
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after a law was passed by congress the
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change was to differentiate
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the federal postal agents from the
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multitude of other special agents
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employed by railway and stagecoach
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companies
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inspectors investigated postal crimes
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across the vast open spaces of the west
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in 1881 the notorious billy the kid was
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interviewed by inspectors in connection
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with a mail robbery
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in santa fe new mexico 1897
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100 inspectors the gold rush of the late
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1800s
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brought thousands of fortune seekers to
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the alaska territory
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1898 post office inspector john clum
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was appointed as special commissioner
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and established post offices throughout
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the alaska territory
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eight years earlier as a newspaper man
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in tombstone
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arizona and a friend of wyatt earp
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klum witnessed the gun fight at the o.k
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corral
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and was the first to report on it in
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1900
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post office inspectors seemed to be
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everywhere
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inspectors investigated postal fraud in
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cuba
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which was under u.s military
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jurisdiction
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and they traveled to puerto rico in
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hawaii to supervise the start of mail
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service in these new u.s
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territories tragedy struck the agency in
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1908
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post office inspector charles fitzgerald
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was gunned down in clinton mississippi
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becoming the first inspector killed in
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the line of duty
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since then 13 additional inspection
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service personnel
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have lost their lives in the line of
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duty
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in 1909 inspectors investigated the
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black hand
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a secret society of criminals who
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extorted money from italian immigrants
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by sending them threatening letters
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inspector frank oldfield
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arrested four team members who were all
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convicted
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1913 400 inspectors
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1916 the last known robbery of a
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horse-drawn mail wagon
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happened in nevada and was investigated
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and solved by post office
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inspectors the bandits who stole three
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thousand dollars from the mill
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and murdered the driver were arrested
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within five days
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the reputation of the inspectors was
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growing
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[Music]
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in 1919 inspector elmer irie was
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selected as the chief of the newly
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created
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internal revenue service intelligence
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unit
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he and five other former inspectors led
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the investigation
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of chicago mobster al capone
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the roaring 20s were indeed roaring for
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the post office inspectors
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post office inspectors became the first
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federal law enforcement officers
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to carry the thompson submachine gun the
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tommy gun
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to combat the rash of male train
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robberies
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1920 charles ponzi
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the father of the illegal pyramid scheme
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that carried his name
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was investigated by inspectors who
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helped convict him
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ponzi built millions of dollars from the
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public in a scheme
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that falsely promised a 50 return on
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investments
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1921 gerald chapman
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who became the first public enemy number
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one
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in dutch anderson robbed a u.s mail
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truck of over two million dollars in new
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york city
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making it the largest robbery of the
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time inspectors captured the two robbers
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convicted they each received 25-year
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sentences
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but escaped from a federal prison in
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atlanta in 1923.
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chapman was eventually hanged and
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anderson was killed in a shootout
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during the 20s two of the most notorious
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male trained robberies occurred
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the botched robbery in the siskiyou
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mountains of oregon
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by the deutsche tremont brothers in 1923
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in a well-planned heist at round out
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illinois
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in 1924 inspectors caught up with the
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duchamp brothers after a three and a
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half year worldwide manhunt
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all three were convicted and sentenced
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to life in prison
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inspectors doggedly tracked down the
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newton boys from the round-out robbery
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all were convicted
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there was no let up in activity for post
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office inspectors during the 30s
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in 1936 public enemy number one
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alvin karpas was arrested by inspectors
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and local police
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for the spectacular machine gun hold up
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of a mail train
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in garrettsville ohio 1937.
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the airship hindenburg the largest
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dirigible ever built
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burst into flames upon touching its
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mooring mass in lakehurst new jersey
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post office inspectors responded and
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recovered mail that was on board
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between 1937 and 1941
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inspectors planned the movement and
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protection of over 15 billion dollars of
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gold
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from new york to fort knox more than 500
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railroad cars carried the goal by
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registered men
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1939 with more than 600 post office
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inspectors on the rolls
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a separate bureau of the chief inspector
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was established
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the 40s brought more change and post
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office inspectors were right in the
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thick of it
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1940. the first of five forensic
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laboratories was established in
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washington dc
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during world war ii 247 inspectors
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serving in the military services
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organized a mail system for the troops
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the army post offices
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called apos in the fleet post offices
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or fpos the system was so effective
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that what they established still remains
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as today's military mail system
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1944 post office inspector robert moon
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developed the idea for the zone
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improvement program
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the zip code but it took 20 years to get
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that implemented
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in 1947 jesse m donaldson became the
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first chief postal inspector
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to be appointed postmaster general
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another title change came about in 1954
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post office inspector was changed to
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postal inspector
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to reflect the relationship to all
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phases of postal services
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and the u.s mail instead of only to post
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offices
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over the years inspectors showed their
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ability to adapt to investigating postal
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crimes
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and providing security on all types of
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conveyances
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whether it was on stage coaches
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steamships or trains
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inspectors met the challenges and solved
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the crimes
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but the 1950s opened up a new area of
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concern
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airplanes in 1955 the first mail bomb
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exploded on board an aircraft
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and established a need for inspectors to
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be specially trained in bomb
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investigations
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1958 owners of the hope diamond sent the
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priceless jewel
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to the smithsonian institution by u.s
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mail
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postal inspectors ensure that the gym
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arrives safely at its destination
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here's a historical factoid you probably
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didn't know
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in 1963 postal inspector harry holmes
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interviewed lee harvey oswald
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about the mail-order rifle used to
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assassinate president john f kennedy
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minutes later oswald was gunned down by
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jack ruby
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the 1970s were a decade of firsts and of
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change
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with the postal reorganization act of
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1970
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the bureau of chief postal inspector
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became the united states postal
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inspection service
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1970 the security force
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the uniform branch of the postal
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inspection service was formed
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primarily responsible for protecting
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people and property
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and keeping the peace on postal property
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postal police officers
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also respond to natural and man-made
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disasters
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in 1971 the postal inspection service
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became one of the first federal law
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enforcement agencies
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to hire female agents
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1972 postal inspectors and crime lab
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forensic scientists
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proved that a handwritten note giving
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author clifford irving exclusive rights
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to the howard hughes biography was a
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fraud
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also in 1972 200 investigative aides
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formally detailed to the inspection
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service became special investigators
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an investigative aide helped protect the
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601
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karat lesotho diamond mill from europe
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to new york later in the decade
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they became postal inspectors
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a tragedy befilled the postal police in
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1981.
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postal police officer michael healy was
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shot and killed during a robbery attempt
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at the chicago maine post office
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his shield number 3972 is used on all
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ppo branding in his memory
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1984. the passage of the child
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protection act
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gave postal inspectors additional powers
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to focus on child pornography
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distributors
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and their customers since 1984
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postal inspectors have arrested
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thousands of child molesters and
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pornographers
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1987 postal inspectors arrested ivan
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boesky
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and michael milken as part of a
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widespread insider trading case on wall
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street
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1989 tele-evangelist jim baker
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co-founder of the praise the lord club
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was arrested by postal inspectors for
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mail fraud
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baker scammed believers by using 178
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million dollars of their mailed in money
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for personal gain
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his sentence 45 years in prison
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1991 in operation bogart
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postal inspectors broke up a worldwide
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billion dollar artfort ring
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that marketed bogus prints purported to
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be signed by such renowned artists
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el salvador daba johan miro
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and pablo picasso from 1978 to 1996
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ted kaczynski aka the unabomber
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meldan placed bombs throughout the
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country killing three
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and injuring 23. postal inspectors
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played an integral role
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on the task force that made the arrests
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marking the end of one of the largest
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and most extensive criminal manhunts in
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modern history
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1998 showtime network aired
15:04
the inspectors the first movie about
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postal inspectors since the 1951 classic
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appointment with danger the movie was
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based on the 1991 chugiak alaska mailbox
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2000 the new millennium brought new
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challenges
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it opened with a new postal inspection
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service sealed
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designed to represent all inspection
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service employees
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but in 2001 the world changed forever
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one month after the terrorist attacks of
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9 11
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for the first time in our nation's
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history the mail was used in a biohazard
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attack
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letters containing anthrax were mailed
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to media and congressional
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representatives
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resulting in the deaths of two postal
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employees
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three citizens and sickening 17 others
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including a postal inspector after a
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nine-year investigation with the fbi
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a suspect was identified but committed
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suicide before charges were brought
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inspectors responded to thousands of
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white powder incidents over the ensuing
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years
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the mailings resulted in postal
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inspectors being trained in emergency
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responses
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to hazardous items in the mail
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whether it's a man-made disaster or
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natural disaster
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inspection service personnel respond
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in 2005 hurricane katrina
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the most destructive natural disaster in
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u.s history
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hit the gulf coast destroying 17 post
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offices
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and displacing 4 000 postal employees
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nearly 300 inspection service personnel
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responded
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accounting for all employees and
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restoring service
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the decade starting in 2010 showed an
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increased focus on trafficking of
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illegal narcotics by mail
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from 2010 through 2019 inspectors
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arrested more than 19
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000 individuals for drug trafficking
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through the mill
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seizing more than 180 million dollars in
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illegal drug proceeds
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almost 100 years after charles ponzi
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scanned people out of their money
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another froster tried it again for 20
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years
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alan stanford lured investors to buy
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certificates of deposit
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in his offshore bank with the promise of
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high returns
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postal inspectors revealed a 7 billion
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ponzi scheme
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arrested the mastermind of the scheme
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and seized his proceeds in 2012
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stanford was sentenced to 110 years in
17:35
prison
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despite high profile investigations the
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agency was still
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low profile when it came to publicity
17:44
no longer willing to be called the
17:45
silent service the inspection service
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finally started to get some recognition
17:50
they were featured in a new exhibit
17:52
called behind the badge
17:54
that opened in 2014 at the smithsonian
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institutions
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national postal museum
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in 2015 the cbs network premiered
18:04
the inspectors a half hour drama series
18:08
about the inspection service
18:10
the show ran for four seasons averaging
18:12
60 million viewers per
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season and capturing two daytime emmys
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2017 an investigation by postal
18:21
inspectors in the department of justice
18:23
led to western union and moneygram
18:25
agreeing to return
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almost 600 million dollars to victims of
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fraudulent foreign lottery
18:30
sweepstakes online dating and advance
18:33
fee schemes
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in 2018 mail bombs were sent to 16
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high-profile political figures
18:40
news media agencies and actors within
18:43
days of the first mailing
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cesar sayoc was identified by postal
18:47
inspectors and arrested
18:49
he was sentenced to 20 years in federal
18:51
prison
18:52
80 years after the first crime lab was
18:54
established
18:55
forensic scientists and technical
18:57
specialists are now located at the
18:59
national forensic laboratory
19:01
at dulles virginia and at 22 digital
19:04
evidence locations around the united
19:06
states
19:07
they play key roles in identifying
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apprehending
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prosecuting and convicting individuals
19:13
responsible for postal crimes
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2020 brought the first global pandemic
19:18
in 100 years
19:19
in nationwide civil unrest despite the
19:22
dangers postal inspection service
19:25
personnel provided security for postal
19:27
employees
19:28
and conducted investigations to protect
19:30
americans from pandemic scams
19:33
and that's a look back at the first 245
19:36
years of america's first federal law
19:38
enforcement agency
19:40
the men and women who make up today's
19:41
postal inspection service continued the
19:43
tradition
19:44
of the ones who laid the foundation
19:48
postal inspection service personnel
19:50
continued to protect the postal service
19:52
its employees and its customers from
19:55
criminal attack
19:56
in the nation's mail from criminal
19:57
misuse
19:59
their efforts ensure america's
20:02
confidence
20:03
in the mail
20:09
[Music]
20:40
you