[virgil]

Isn’t robbing trains a federal offense?

[ProtectOurFreedom]

"Isn’t robbing trains a federal offense?"

Good point. The answer seems to be "it depends.

Norfolk Southern train robbery becomes a federal case in N.C.

December 20, 2013
News & Observer

RALEIGH, N.C. — When two armed men stepped aboard a parked Norfolk Southern train on April 29, 2012, they became the state’s first train robbers in recent memory. Train robbery, under the eyes of the law, is a crime that affects interstate commerce and punishment can rise to the federal level. The two men robbed an engineer and conductor of $30 cash and credit cards, but they are each facing charges of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years probation.

18 U.S. Code § 2116 - Railway or steamboat post office: "Whoever, by violence, enters a post-office car, or any part of any car, steamboat, or vessel, assigned to the use of the mail service, or willfully or maliciously assaults or interferes with any postal clerk in the discharge of his duties in connection with such car, steamboat, vessel, or apartment thereof, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both."

Interestingly, carjacking can immediately rise to a federal offense because the vehicle was previously transported in interstate commerce!
18 U.S. Code § 2119 - Motor vehicles: "Whoever, with the intent to cause death or serious bodily harm [1] takes a motor vehicle that has been transported, shipped, or received in interstate or foreign commerce from the person or presence of another by force and violence or by intimidation, or attempts to do so, shall—"

Federal Robbery Crimes
The United States has enacted a number of statutes that provide for certain robbery crimes against the federal government. The following situations, in addition to the normal elements of the crime of robbery, can lead to prosecution under federal law:

• Committing robbery by stealing any property belonging to the United States
• Bank robbery (Banks are considered to be bank buildings and any building where a bank is located, for example inside a grocery store or big-box retailer)
• Committing robbery against a federal employee or agent (for example, a postal employee)
• Committing robbery of a controlled substance from any person registered with the Drug Enforcement Agency as a distributor of controlled substances (for example, robbing drugs from a pharmacy)
• Carjacking any vehicle that can be used on interstate highways (this statute applies to a robbery of any vehicle that is used on the public roadways)