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Subscribe to RSSUpdated at 5 p.m. PT: A big fat tip or tainted drug money? Struggling Minnesota waitress Stacy Knutson said it’s the former; Moorhead, Minn., police apparently believed it was the latter.
The wad of cash was left in a to-go box on a table at the Moorhead Fryin’ Pan restaurant where Knutson works. Knutson said she followed the customer out to the parking lot to give back what she thought were leftovers, but the customer said, “No, I am good; you keep it,” according a story Wednesday in The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead.
Knutson went back inside the restaurant, peeked inside the box and to her astonishment found $12,000 in cash rolled up in rubber bands.
Like a dutiful citizen, she called police, who seized the money and reportedly told her she would get it back if no one claimed it in 60 days. But when that time period passed, she said police told her she still couldn’t get the money because it was part of a drug investigation. Apparently it didn’t pass the sniff test, because police said the money had a strong odor of marijuana.
Knutson filed a lawsuit in Clay County District Court, claiming the cash is rightfully hers.
On Thursday, her attorney, Craig Richie, said the County Attorney's Office and the Moorhead Police Department had agreed to let her keep all the money.
“We argued that most money that you carry in your pocket has drug residue on it,” Richie told CBS station WCCO. “She could’ve kept the money and nobody would’ve known. But she said, ‘No, I’m going to do the right thing.’ So she called police and now integrity has now prevailed.”
Richie told Reuters that folks around Moorhead knew that Knutson and her husband were having financial problems raising their five children. He told the news service that he believed the money was intended as a gift to the family.
"Stacy is a very religious woman and this is the will of God," he said.
Read the initial story in The Forum here and a follow-up story here.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
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Did they have a search warrant?
While I support the war against drugs, I also have seen quite a few officers failing the integrity test since about 2000 when Bill Clinton put over 100,000 extra cops on the street.
So, what we have here is a competition for a lot of cash.
Better let a jury decide this one.
Saying it was anything other than dope money is ludicrous...and the concept of "god" is fcking ridiculous. Right, "god" was doing what he does and he decided to make a "miracle" happen and threw her twelve stacks. Sheeeeeeeeeeeit.
"Cops let waitress keep $12,000"
No they didn't! She had to take them to court!
To those of you who got off on blaming the cops for being thieves - good grief - they never stole everything. A occassional bad egg and you blame the whole profession. The woman did the right thing by reporting it. The cops did what they had to do by confiscating it. Now she has the money back, which is the right thing. Honesty all around on this one.
Most of you have your heads up ur azz'zz. And you watch too much t.v. Please, if someone is beating the crap out of you or someone is breaking into your house DON'T CALL 9-1-1 OR THE POLICE. Would hate to be bitched out trying to help you.
Been there done that. They are late. They do not care. They do not follow up! Tis you who watches to much TV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well I hope we learn from others mistakes. The cops are not here to help you, they are here to help themselves!
Time and again we hear stories like this by people who are very religious; they're christians, they believe in God yet the news media would like you to believe that fewer than 50% of Americans are christians. I'd like to know how many people in the U.S. they poled to get that result. They didn't ask me if I believe in God, did they ask you? I feel its time to take a hard look at the journalists and news media in this country and make them accountable for they're reporting. It infuriates me that they can report something like that without giving the facts to prove its validity. As an American and a christian I believe we need to speak up and put a stop to this kind of thing.
There is a difference between believing in a higher power and being a Christian. I am not a Christian, but I do believe that there is an intelligence and higher power in the Universe. If you ask people if they believe in God or a God, they may say yes, without believing all of the other dogma associated with Christianity.
Why is God even being brought into this discussion? I was raised Roman Catholic and converted to Lutheranism as an adult...after my divorce the RC church no longer wanted me gracing their Communion rail (although I am sure they would have accepted my donations). I hate the see God touted when it comes to things like this...how about all the children that die of cancer? How about all the children who are physically, mentally, or sexually abused? Where is God for these children? What possible explanation can you give that would satisfy me? None. I will hear about the devil also walking the earth. I no longer buy any of it. Sorry. I no longer follow the Ten Commandments, but instead take the motto of Wicca as my own..."Harm None" or "Do No Harm"...the Ten Commandments in two or three words, depending on how you express it. There is good and there is evil. If there is a God, He turned His back on us many centuries ago.
The 12,000 should have been rightfully given back to the person that found it after the 60 days. Obviously could have been contaminated in the evidence room or worse by a CROOKED person who has access to the evidence room.
This Lady had to hire an atorney to get what was rightfully hers.THE city or police department needs to pay for her court costs and attorney fees.This is necessary just to make sure this sort of thing never happens again.
SHAME on who ever in the city decided to swindle this lady. One thing for certain the wheel turns slowly but thouroughly and the SWINDLER will get their JUST REWARD for being a CROOKED<> DIRTY<>ROTTEN<>SOB !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Probably a Politician
Hey JABCOMM;
now days the cops would arrest you if you are attacked or your house broken into. That's if your lucky and they don't just shoot and kill you. (Claiming they feared for THEIR safety.) Anyone naive enough to think that this doesn't happen all the time, doesn't read the news! The cops are not here to serve and protect, they are here to help the injustice system fleece the poor, which is most of us thanks to the economy.
Someone commented "Why not cut her a police department check, and when the investigation is completed, they can keep it?" My take is why not give her the $12K and if the police find a drug connection, they can ask for it back!!
About 8 or 9 years back, they busted a cop who would go out on burglary calls... and still any high value items which were left. He just stuffed them in his pocket, then later sold them on e-bay.
He was finally caught by accident. The grand son of one of the victims (elderly lady) had taken inventory of the stolen items between the date of the theft and the time police dispatch sent out this officer. When the kid matched what was stolen against what was missing after the police officer left he was initially confused ... cops don't steal.
He informed police and they didn't believe him at first - so they sent other senior officers to a few of the places this guy had taken reports.
Over the years, he had "supplemented" his income at over $100K. that was where they stopped checking.
He was not some poot-butt rookie - he was a police SGT. Had been on the for decades.... maybe that's how he got away with it for so long.
He got 5 years, and that was pleaded down to 1 year and 4 years probation. Eventually, because of the time it took to get to court - time served was declared based on "undue hardship".
Net time served - none! But, he did say he was sorry, something about being an alcoholic from the stress of the job... "The old Devil made me do it" defence.
We had a case near us where an IA sgt. was finally caught, after dumping the files (both hard copy and computer) for 81 cases filed against officers over the span of a few years. My first thought was, "How much did each cop pay him for getting rid of the evidence?" Sorry...but I don't think he did it gratis. This man's base pay was better than $123,000 a year! How greedy can one get? I hope they throw the book at him at trial. Having said that, there are also many honest cops out there. Unfortunately the few bad eggs tarnish the reputation of all of them.
That must have been one hellva of a meal!
60 days, cool I'll just keep what ever I find for 60 days,then no hav ethe hassle of going to trial,a lawyer and losing a day of pay to keep whats mine already.
Thanks Bush Sr. for passing some of the worst anit freedom laws ever in American history, Zero Tolerance for drugs and freedoms !
Its turned the Cops into profiteers and made the Bill of Rights worthless!
Sorry, but what a dumb sh**. Now, she has to pay her attorney that she had to hire to get it back from the cops, and the IRS. Nothing in the law or in her being a "good Christian" dictates that she call the cops and turn it over. Dumb sh**.
I'm so glad that this story has a happy ending...yet sad that the police didn't just do the right thing in the first place by forcing her to hire a lawyer. I hope she enjoys every dime of it.
If the customer had said to me, "keep it, it yours".............then it's MINE! Im not telling the cops anything! And I've known cops that were on the 'vice' squad (I won't mention the city, you know the one by the bay heh heh), that have seized a drug bust, pocketed $$$$$$$$$ and dope and then, turned in the rest as evidence. Good cops are certainly a RARE BREED.
There used to be an element of integrity when it came to being a policeman. Now it seems there are many more thugs being placed in the uniform to serve and protect. My question in this case is, whom are they serving and what were they protecting? She got a gift, then for being honest she was punished by the system. On top of that, she had to have the services of the most despicable thieves of all, lawyers at large. If I ever found cash or a stash, no one would know about it but me...and the guy with the capital "G" on his sweatshirt up in heaven.
The cops said the 12,000 dollars was drug money?. They had to think and find a way to keep the money. This is where the cops are stupid. They told the waitress that "if no one claims the money after 60 days they money would be hers". Well after 60 days the waitress back and wanted the money. Well the "Keysone Cops" still hadn't thought of a way to keep the money and split it amomg themselves. They probably thought the waitress would forget all about it. Well they were wrong again. She came back and wanted the money. So the waitress probably said to her self I'm going to get that money because it's mine. She got a lawyer and went to the news media. The "Keystone Cops" said well it's her's and she can have it. So the moral of the story is never let the cops make up your mind because when it comes to money they just think of themselves.
Cops let her? Why is it up to the cops? this country has lost its mind.
I just wonder if a politician would have been so honest
I don't trust our government starting with lawyers and politicians to all the way to the president. The bi-partisan between Dems and Reps, to conservatives to liberals...talking about separating this country with that nonsense! No there is no honesty amongst the political realm in which we hold as our government. WE THE PEOPLE is referred to WE THE GOVERNMENT anymore.
They use to say, 'Honesty is the best policy'...Unfortunately, those days are over. When one tries to be honest or do the right thing, they are penalized...no matter the situation. Especially when it comes to being honest with those in authority by doing the RIGHT thing. She should had not said a word and quietly kept the money. But she wanted to free her conscience. Would the law enforcement officials free theirs?
This story reminds me of the Sheriff in Volusia County Florida. His deputies would racial profile (allegedly) and if they found any money in the cars of the people they stopped, they would seize it on the notion that no one would have large sums of cash unless they were dealing in drugs. All of our money has some kind of drug residue on it. (That's why your mother told you "Money is filthy".) No doubt she should have been given the money.
Unfortunately, the attorney will get 30%-40% plus fees.
She will get $8,000 at best for being faithful.
So for the 25% of cops that can add; they just stole $4,000 from her.
(An attorney can not file law suite on your behalf unless he officially represents you which comes with a retainer or portion of the award, never below 30%. I am sure he will thank the police for the easy money by somehow returning a portion of the drug money.)
Organized crime still exists; it is just done through legal means these days.
For whatever reason "they" felt she as an individual was not worthy of the money. Authoritarian attitudes never cease to amaze me. Hope someday they each get the same chit they dished out!
"had agreed to let her keep all the money"...Nope, uncle Sam will get some!
Had the customer written also a note "This is a gift to the waitress!", then the waitress wouldn't have to pay tax at ALL, because you can receive cash gift up to $13 from a person, without paying taxes.
And she wouldn't have to deal with the cops and needed a lawyer, who would probably take 1/2 of the 12K!
Moral lesson: Know tax loopholes that rich people use all the time!
A big fat attaboy to the giver. Bully. Waitresses' income is meager, that amount of money is likely massive to her, probably a bit perplexing. I'm inspired by that generous tip to be a bit more generous with my tipping,
although 20% on $100 dining stretches me. On a fair nite a server could easily table 10 menus. @ $100
each X 20% is $200 tips alone, plus wages. This dear woman will clean up the money. And cheers to
the law for not making a federal case of it. Hardy handshake.