A routine trip to an automated teller machine turned into an extraordinary display of honesty when a North Texas man discovered more than $128,000 in cash left abandoned in public view. The 37-year-old local barber, accompanied by a 42-year-old woman, turned over $128,514 in cash and a separate bag containing 19 checks to the Lewisville Police Department on Aug. 3.
- Initial Confusion and the Call to 911
- Verification and the Investigation
- Legal Realities and “Finders Keepers” Rules
- Community Recognition forcomstock the Good Samaritan
- Frequently Asked Questions
- How much money was found on top of the ATM?
- Where did the money come from?
- Who found the money?
- Is it legal to keep money found in public places?
- Did the finder receive a reward?
The incident unfolded at approximately 10 a.m. at a Bank of America ATM located on West Main Street in Lewisville, Texas, situated about 30 miles north of Dallas. According to police reports, the cash and checks were resting directly on top of the machine.
Initial Confusion and the Call to 911
Upon spotting the unattended fortune, the man initially inspected the bags for identifying details. Information printed on one of the bags suggested a connection to a nearby Chick-fil-A restaurant. Believing the funds might belong to the eatery, he drove directly to the restaurant to locate the manager.
When the manager confirmed that the money did not belong to the restaurant, the man made a clear choice. Rather than keeping the windfall, he immediately dialed 911 to report the discovery and hand the funds over to responding officers.
Lewisville Police Detective Gina Miller noted the sheer magnitude of the recovery. She stated that while citizens frequently turn in lost wallets and identification cards, she had never encountered a six-figure cash surrender.
Verification and the Investigation
Responding officers secured the bags and brought them back to the police station for processing. Inside the cash bag, investigators discovered a bank receipt matching the exact figure recovered.
Officers counted the money twice by hand and verified the total using a digital currency counter. The final tally matched the receipt precisely at $128,514, with not a single dollar missing. The entire amount was then placed into the Lewisville Police Department property room.
Investigators quickly traced the origin of the misplaced money. Bank records and police reports confirmed that the funds belonged to Bank of America and were being managed by its cash vendor, Brinks. Authorities determined that a Brinks technician had serviced the ATM earlier and accidentally left the cash bag on top of the machine.
Police found no evidence linking the abandoned money to criminal activity.
Legal Realities and “Finders Keepers” Rules
The case quickly sparked public curiosity regarding property law and whether the common phrase “finders keepers” holds any weight. Legal experts weighed in on the situation, emphasizing that finding lost property does not grant ownership rights.
Julie Forrester Rogers, a law professor at Southern Methodist University, explained that found cash technically remains the property of its true owner. Under most state laws, individuals are legally required to take reasonable steps to return lost or mislaid property. Failing to turn in such a substantial sum of money could have exposed the finder to felony-level theft charges.
Because the rightful owner-Bank of America-was successfully identified and located, the property was legally returned to the institution. The bank has since recovered the full amount.
Community Recognition forcomstock the Good Samaritan
The unidentified barber has chosen to avoid public attention and declined to speak directly about the event with most media outlets. However, Lewisville Police Chief Brook Rollins offered simple insight into the man’s motivation.
“I just think he just thinks it’s the right thing to do and doesn’t think it goes beyond that,” Rollins told reporters.
The Lewisville Police Department has expressed a desire to formally recognize the man for his integrity. While he has declined broader public spectacles, he indicated to local news outlets that he would willingly attend a private ceremony if the police department chooses to honor his remarkable honesty.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money was found on top of the ATM?
The cash bag contained exactly $128,514, along with a separate bag holding 19 checks.
Where did the money come from?
The funds belonged to Bank of America and were accidentally left behind on the ATM by a technician working for the bank’s cash vendor, Brinks.
Who found the money?
A 37-year-old barber from Lewisville, Texas, discovered the cash alongside a 42-year-old woman while visiting the machine to make a withdrawal.
Is it legal to keep money found in public places?
No. Legal experts note that keeping lost or mislaid property without making a reasonable effort to return it to the rightful owner is illegal and can result in felony theft charges.
Did the finder receive a reward?
The individual did not ask for a reward or public attention. Bank of America expressed gratitude, and local police have discussed honoring him in a private ceremony.
