An Honest Man

[MrDudeMan]

Originally posted by: jdub1107

Originally posted by: sxr7171

Originally posted by: FoBoT
how would you explain having that much cash out of the blue? no, giving it back is right on more levels than honesty
there is a good chance you would get caught and end up in jail , either for theft or tax evasion

Well, you have to have some crazy discipline and not go on a shopping spree. You'd kind of have to launder it in some way by taking it abroad and depositing it or converting it to jewellery. With the new financial tracking laws even that will be very hard to do. Ultimately you might have to just keep it in a safe deposit box and only take a few grand out every month.

Yea, you'd have to be an idiot to go on a shopping spree. I would have no problems with taking out a few thousand every month. It be like winning a small lottery and getting monthly payments.

no, it would be like stealing from someone every month, not winning the lottery.

 

[alocurto]

Originally posted by: quakefiend420
bet that cops ass is in a sling right now...i'm not gonna lie...i would have taken the cash, left the checks and bounced...no pun intended, heh

 

[patrick409]

I woulda felt guilty as hell if I kept it.. until I got to the nearest Best Buy, anyways..

 

[LoneWolf15]

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: LoneWolf15
Amazing how many people here said "I would take the money." I can't believe this.

No matter how badly I needed cash, it WOULDN'T BE MINE. It'd be stealing.

Are you all saying that the only reason you don't go into stores and take stuff off the shelf and leave with it is that there's security devices on it and you might get caught? Are you all truly saying that you don't believe that stealing is morally wrong? Or that it is, but you don't care if you're not going to get caught?

EDIT: The guy in the story is a role model, IMO. And, you shouldn't have to be rewarded in order to do the right thing. You should do it knowing that it's the right thing to do.

I find a difference between stealing in a store and finding a bag full of money. Finders, keepers with the bag and shoplifting in the store are totally different in my mind.

I will agree with you that the guy is a role model for his actions....he's certainly a better man than I.

This bag had checks in it, not just cash. It would have been pretty easy to figure out where it came from. Stealing is stealing. If there is a way to trace back where the money came from and who it belonged to, and you don't return it, that is stealing, plain and simple. Most people here said they would burn the checks (despite the fact that they could be used to trace the money back) and keep the cash. Obvious stealing.

If you find a hundred dollar bill out in the middle of nowhere, and there's obviously no way to tell who it came from, it's your lucky day, fine. It's another to take what isn't yours when you know there's a way to be honest and give it back. What if you accidentally left your wallet in a restaurant with $200 cash in it? Would you hope someone would use your drivers license to trace you back and return it? Or is it okay for them to remove the cash, and leave your wallet with ID and credit cards? Same thing. Either one of them is morally and ethically wrong.

 

[newParadigm]

proly would've returned the checks, just to keep me in the towns good graces.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Originally posted by: spiderrasmon
He must've called to mind that "Saved By the Bell" episode where they found that shoebox fulla money in the mall and then got chased around by the two shady guys while getting tickets to the U2 concert... ahhh memories...

LMFAO!!! Classic.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: CptObvious
I hope most people realize that in this case, keeping the money is not only unethical but illegal as well. If the money can be traceable back to the owner (which it was because of the checks), and you make no effort to return it but instead intend to keep it, then you can be convicted of theft.

Wow. You really do live up to your name.

- M4H

 

[CptObvious]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: CptObvious
I hope most people realize that in this case, keeping the money is not only unethical but illegal as well. If the money can be traceable back to the owner (which it was because of the checks), and you make no effort to return it but instead intend to keep it, then you can be convicted of theft.

Wow. You really do live up to your name.

- M4H

Check the results of the poll (pole?) on the Finders Keepers thread. Most people seem to think you're not legally required to return the item.

 

[SaberDicer]

I probably would have given it back, depends though. If it was mostly checks and a few houndred grand in cash, I would have considered keeping the cash and mailing the checks back. If it was mostly cash I would have just given it all back. No, I would have just given it back regardless. I didn't have the money to begin with, so I can keep on going with out it. I don't believe in karma or any of that stuff, as most of the good stuff I do goes unanswered, but I do it anyway, not for a religion or any seeming ethical obligation, just a little feeling that tugs at me.

 

[episodic]

All I woulda needed was 50g of the cash

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: Arkitech

Originally posted by: Queasy
Text

"Someone that found the bag was very honest. We are planning on doing something for him," Schremp said.

They'll probably give him a gift certificate to Subway and a pat on the back

Naw, I bet he gets one get-out-of-jail free card.

 

[krcat1]

I think that alot of people are going to get caught.

Cash is increasingly traceable. Bank and casinos have plans to photogragh every bill, if they are not secretly doing it now.
If the cash was collected at a place with security cams, there is a chance that a few bills could be IDed with good image processing.
All the government would have to do is set alerts on the serial numbers and wait until they showed up, and connect the dots.

Also, every cam that could get a glimpse of the cars on the road would be studied. Then you might have a police dog and his nose show up at your door.

Else, some G-man with the criminal profile of "someone who found 850K" would monitor the area and wait for someone like you to fit the profile
And they can wait for a very long time.

 

[S0Y73NTGR33N]

Originally posted by: krcat1
I think that alot of people are going to get caught.

Cash is increasingly traceable. Bank and casinos have plans to photogragh every bill, if they are not secretly doing it now.
If the cash was collected at a place with security cams, there is a chance that a few bills could be IDed with good image processing.
All the government would have to do is set alerts on the serial numbers and wait until they showed up, and connect the dots.

Also, every cam that could get a glimpse of the cars on the road would be studied. Then you might have a police dog and his nose show up at your door.

Else, some G-man with the criminal profile of "someone who found 850K" would monitor the area and wait for someone like you to fit the profile
And they can wait for a very long time.

That is why you'd have to launder the moneys

Like this

Money Laundering

Man I love office space.

-green

 

[LongAce]

Doesn't he get a certain percentage of the lost money returned?

 

[Brutuskend]

We are planning on doing something for him.

hummmmmm

 

[g8wayrebel]

Originally posted by: edro13
I would have taken it to Vegas betting with it, and converting my chips back in for cash. Hell, you wouldn't even need to bet with it... just get chips, walk around for a while, then cash the chips back in. Do this in 10-20 casinos and you would have freshly laundered monies!

WTF..assuming your hypothesis works and the money is traceable,you'd also have your pic on every camera in Vegas..
Nice move slick!
I lost my wallet on payday while in the Army. It was returned to the store owner as I walked back in looking for it. Although I would have been fed , I'd have been a very unhappy camper for a couple of weeks. If I wouldn't have returned it prior to that day ,I certainly would have after. No matter where I go , I can walk in the door with my chin in the air knowing I can fearlessly take responsibility for my actions. It's nice never to have to look over your shoulder.

If you read this and know how , please do a poll. No comments necessary...just return? or don't return? . I think the results should be interesting!