Potential Liability for Mailing a Package With Unknown Contents
Start a free AI-assisted chat and connect with an experienced California attorney, with no obligation.
Reviewed & verified by A. Jason Velez, Esq.*
Managing Attorney, 1LAW · Last reviewed January 31, 2026
Legal Inquiry
Consumer Legal Issue
I mailed a pkg for someone out of state the person had me mail it to her friends dis house. Turns out her friend got raided yesterday. She called me and told me I might get in trouble. I only picked it up and mailed it for her because she recently moved to Mt and it was something of her moms who had passed away and she had left behind along with other possessions. I told her I would check and see if the box was still where she had left some property. It was so I mailed it to her but she asked me to address it to her friend on the account she wasn’t getting her mail. I don’t want to be involved in anything illegal.
I work and live in the same place as my job and my home and I can’t afford to lose one shot.
Attorney Answer
Because your job and home are the same place and there's real risk to both, the priority right now is getting a criminal defense attorney's advice before you say anything to police — not staying quiet and hoping it resolves on its own.
Generally, mailing a package for someone isn't itself a crime. What typically matters is whether you actually knew, or deliberately avoided finding out, that the package contained something illegal. Here, you were asked to re-address the package to someone else's name specifically so the friend's own name wouldn't be on it — that detail matters and is exactly the kind of fact a defense attorney needs to hear directly, since it can affect how your involvement looks.
There's no indication anyone has promised to take responsibility for this; the friend called only to warn you about the raid, and that warning by itself does nothing to reduce your own potential exposure.
What you can do:
1. Consult a criminal defense attorney promptly, before speaking with anyone else about this, to understand your exposure and how to respond if you're contacted.
2. Do not speak with police about the package without an attorney's guidance — if they contact you, you can decline to answer questions until you've spoken with counsel.
3. There is no current legal obligation to report yourself, since no law enforcement contact has occurred — but don't wait long to get advice in case that changes.
4. Write down what you remember now — dates, who asked what, and why you re-addressed the package — for your attorney's use.
Relevant Case Law
United States v. Carmen Denise Heredia, 483 F.3d 913 (2007) — Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
A willfully blind defendant is one who took deliberate actions to avoid confirming suspicions of criminality.
This case explains that deliberately avoiding finding out what was in a package can count as knowledge, so lacking actual knowledge is not automatically a defense.
Read the full opinion (CourtListener)
*Attorney review is supported by AI-assisted drafting and legal research algorithms. Use of this Chat does not create an attorney-client relationship.
By using this service you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.
Courts & Legal Aid in California
- File or look up a case through the California Courts, which serves the state.
- Get free civil legal help from LawHelpCA.
- Use the LSC — Find Legal Aid to find a local legal-aid office by ZIP code.
- Use the LawHelp.org to browse free legal information and self-help resources.
- Use the ABA Lawyer Referral Directory to get matched with a local attorney through your state bar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it a crime to mail a package for someone else if you didn't know what was inside?
Generally no, mailing a package for someone isn't itself illegal; what typically matters is whether the sender actually knew, or deliberately avoided finding out, that it contained something illegal.
Does being asked to re-address a package to someone else's name matter legally?
It can, details like being asked to use a different name on a package are the kind of facts a defense attorney would want to know, since they can affect how someone's involvement is viewed.
Is there a legal obligation to report yourself to police if you're worried about a package you mailed?
Generally no, there's typically no legal duty to self-report absent law enforcement contact, but getting legal advice promptly is usually recommended given the uncertainty.
