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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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Don't most bills test positive for small traces of cocaine?
Why do we eradicate common sense from so many things these days???!!! This lady is obviously a deserving citizen who made every attempt to make right. Give it to her!
The RIGHT thing to do? Don't be reduiculous. It was the stupidest thing she's done all year.
Lessen learned NEVER trust the cops.
what kind of stoop opens their mouth when cash like that is laid on them? serves her right that they took it from her. Learn a lesson here.......... stash the cash and keep your mouth shut!
Considering that 4 out of 5 bills in US has cocaine residue on it I guess police can take all our money? What a joke. We are losing all of our rights folks.
Drug money my a$$.
Disappointing to me how many people seem to think it's okay to keep something that may belong to someone else.
There is that little bit of info that the owner of the box told her she could have it. Ya never know. Pesky details.
You understand that it's illegal to not return money deposited in your bank account in error don't you? Same principal. Keeping something of extra-ordinary value just because you think someone gave to you doesn't mean it's rightfully yours.
The person know where she works, if he made a mistake he could come back for the money next day.
I'm sure she would not blow it in 24hours.
It have now been 60days, give her the money (make it a check if you have too).
After this newspaper report they probably will as public pressure is on them.
The bad part she already signed attorneys papers.
And trust me, the attorney have handed the police department a retaining lien on the money.
So legally they can not give the girl the money but have to give it to the lawyer first.
Now even without spending time in court the lawyer gets to keep 40%
Most of the comments show little to no re guard toward the right thing,that because it requires backbone and honesty,things most people lack today! Years ago blood money earn off the back of the weak and wronged was bad luck to take anyway,but today with no sense of anyone else but themselves and little to say with a big spectrum to say it on,it all comes out in the end anyway. Good karma to her in the end she is clean unlike many who self centered comments show how lacking in life they are.
Assuming this woman was telling the truth, the box was given to her. With that being said, I don't see how she would have done anyting wrong by not calling the police. I agree with the whole "what goes around, comes around" thing, but if the box was given to her, she's right as rain in my eyes.
The article doesn't say if the waitress and costumer were black or white. We need to find this out so we'll know who should get the money.
I'm guessing this is sarcasm? If not your a $hit starter.
Sarcasm? You gotta be kidding or you're a liberal. Why not ask that question I mean like they brought it up in that shooting case of what's his name Zimmerman and the black kid...is that sarcasm?
Stay on topic, and no, I am not a liberal.
And yes, you are a $hit starter.
hey will, does it have to be black or white, what if the customer was green and from mars. would that satisfy your thirst of justice?
According to the media YES it has to be a black/white racial thing. I'm wondering why they haven't yet? If one of the people was black it would be mentioned I'm sure...probably both were white or black so it's not an issue...yet.
I'm wondering why it was brought up in the Zimmerman case? There...see? Starting to get the picture?
I understand your frustration. I too am disgusted with so much BS from people who act like they were present during this tragic event. They don't seem to understand that trying it in the media will almost certainly result in zero justice if in fact Zimmerman is lying. That's why I don't want every situation in the news to be a reflection of that case. There could not be an untainted grand jury at this point.
She should of kept it, law inforcement agencies only keep the money anyway for themselves or distribute it among other agencies that are involved in the investigation.
It is hers!
The money went unclaimed for the prescribed period and there is no statement concerning an "on-going investigation." Give her the money. She went out of her way to show her honesty in this matter. If you can't come up with something better than is smells like marijuana, you've got nothing. Agreed that a high percentage of money has drug residue on it or smells like, well, marijuana. But so does the upholstery in most used cars and everybody's clothing after a rock concert. Doesn't hold water boys, give the lady her cash.
She even tried to do the right thing! What jerks. I think she has a chance to get this money, especially when they took the time to explain the law and the 60 days!
If she gets the money someone's going to come looking for her...sooner or later to get it back. She'll need to keep looking over her shoulder.
I think you are right. A dumbass drug dealer didn't break the law to give her a tip for a burger and fries. That dumbass most likely has a boss that isn't amused by this turn of events. It's like a Tarantino movie.
The media is helping out already by identifing the waitress and where she works. I'm sure if and when she gets the money they will tell where she lives too...gotta help the less fortunate find the money she took or stole. Yea...that's it...twist the story to where the waitress stole it from the customer.
yep, all good points. It wouldn't be worth 12k to live like that : /
Blame it on Bush.
Someone will eventually.
Smells like they split the money. I hope they share the time in jail that would good....
Strong oder of pot surrounding home where money absorbed the arroma. Why that person could have legal medicine. The cops are not the GREAT CARNAC and are legally bound under law to now turn it over to the woman.
she did the right thing, its their turn.
Remind me not to think about this story as I try to teach my children to respect and trust police officers. I hope she gets the 12K back and 500K in punitive damages for the cops being SOB's.
The cops are the crooks.
Your tax dollars ain't cutting it. got to feed the youngins and baby need new shoes? plus the wife needs a new corvette.
What does drug money have to do with anything? On all bills it says 'Legal tender for all debts public and private'. Drug money is just a private debt ;-)
Next time people, do the right thing and avoid legal entanglements. Sit on the cash for a few months, then do what you want with it.
well, counterfeit bills also says the same thing.
I've known a lot of cops in my life and have a couple family members who are in law enforcement.
Not all are bad and certainly, not all are good. It's just that we hold the police in a higher regard because they are supposed to "serve and protect" us. Unfortunately that's not always the case.
They are human just like us. They are subject to the same weakness's and desires for instant gratification. Some cannot resist and give in to temptation, but to lump all police into this category is unfair and just plain ignorant.
There are many fine, upstanding police who would (and do) give the lives to protect us from the truly evil people in our society.
It's easy to make accusations without knowing all the facts, so I will just hold my judgement until we know the rest of the story.
good point, that's why i'm all for robo-cop.
Crooked cops shame on them more dishonest then crooks we get tickets if we dont wear a seat belt but they get away with everything and they have big egos whos policing the police and whos governing the goverment all the same crooks were working like dogs being honest and people we put in charge are ripping us off no justice we shouldnt pay taxes or claim our tips or pay for insurance and dont pay interest on anything and lets see what happens we would all be in jail.
Banks better pray that the police never bring drug sniffing dogs in to smell the money, (they would take it all) because some where down the line it was touched by someone with drugs on their hands!
$12000 is a lot of cash. I do not believe that the police need all of that money in order to make a case. Take pictures, keep some of it for the case (to be returned at a later date) and get your forensic evidence off of what you need. Then give the rest back to the lady it was left for.
Unless she is part of the investigation, but then why would she have called the police in the first place.
Asset Seizure & Forfeiture is nothing more than legalized theft and it happens on a daily basis. Proving once again that nobody watches the Watchmen...
That's the reason most drug deals are done in rented property (cars,trucks,planes, And homes).
Yet the cops wonder why so many call them pigs.
Her attorney should be asking not only for the return of the money, but also for punitive damages, compounded interest, & all legal fees. Pigs have no shame.
Certainly not all cops are bad but these are either thieves & liars, or suffer from the worst case of rectal, cranial inversion I ever heard of. Take your choice.
The police did what they were supposed to do. BUT THE DEPT. AFTER 60 DAYS SMELLED DRUGS, And everyone on this post smells a rat in the way this is being handled.
Well of course the money smelled like "drugs" more than 50% of US currency is so tainted at any one time. A convenient method for rationalizing their theft. Besides the drug dogs are tained in such a way with a benefit/reward system that they no what responses going to get them the most attention from their handlers...
Don't steal, the police hate the competition.