Florida couple reels in cash of the day - $80,000 theirs to keep after 90 days!

Associated Press ^ | July 13, 2002 | Associated Press Staff

[MeekOneGOP]

Florida couple reels in cash of the day

07/13/2002

Associated Press

KEY WEST, Fla. - A young couple fishing in the Florida Keys reeled in a big one a leather bag with about $80,000 inside.

The couple, visiting from Vero Beach, Fla., found the bag floating south of the Seven Mile Bridge in the Keys on Saturday. And they can keep the money inside if the owner doesn't claim it in three months, authorities said.

"They saw a baseball cap floating out there, and they were going to retrieve the baseball cap, and they found a little leather bag," said George Rogers, head of the U.S. Customs Service in Key West.

The couple called the FBI, who contacted Customs.

"It's either drug money or alien smuggling money," Mr. Rogers said. "It was soaked; it had been floating in the water for a while."

The Monroe County sheriff's office is holding the cash. State seizure rules allow people who find unclaimed property to keep it if the owner doesn't come forth in 90 days.

Sheriff's Sgt. Bobby Randolph said the couple who recently had a baby don't want to be identified.

Several people have called to claim the money, but none was legitimate, Sgt. Randolph said.

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Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/071302dnnatgoodcatch.77e6a.html

[MeekOneGOP]

Jackpot!

[Neanderthal]

If they had shut up about this they wouldn't be paying income tax . . . .

[ofMagog]

Er, Fred:
You did put the bag in the ships's safe as I asked you?

[ofMagog]

Perhaps they were decent citizens.

[razorback-bert]

Anchor, safe, what's the difference?

[Dialup Llama]

>If they had shut up about this they wouldn't be paying income tax . . . .

True. There's no way I'd be returning a stash like that to its 'rightful' owners. You instantly know it was drug money. Take the cash.

[porte des morts]

And because they are decent citizens they should have a large portion confiscated??

[unbiasedtruth]

Yep, I'm afraid that if I had found the money, I wouldn't have called the police or FBI. But, if the money was in a bank bag, that would have been a different story. It's like driving down the street and seeing the doors of an amored truck fly open and bags of money spill onto the road. I would stop and help collect it and return it. Find a wallet or a purse with lots of cash inside, I would turn it into police. But what this couple found sounds awfully like drug money. Though, maybe it was some elderly couple's retirement funds that they took on a fishing trip and the bag fell overboard?

[ofMagog]

It's an ethics thing.

[porte des morts]

I've heard our tax structure called many things before, and none had the word ethics in them.

(I know you are refering to the couples ethics, I on the other hand was talking about the 40-50% they will lose to the "proper" authorities, for being ethical.)

[csvset]

Man, caught between two vicious gangs, the original owners and the IRS!

[ofMagog]

Several years ago I was conducting a workshop in Santa Fe. One of the psychiatrists there commented people used to ask, "What will others think of me?" or "What would Christ do?" But, now people (especially too many 2002 corporate board members) say, "Well, it looked like a good idea at the time..."

Yes, taxes are waaay too high. In fact, like most, I believe there are a great many laws that are wrong. And, I have broken too many. But, I cannot go along with the Clintonian rationalizations too prevalent in the country.

[glory]

LOL..wonder if this is my Godparents, they are from Vero Beach and vacation in the Keys quite regularly. Guess I'd better call them up and see if they hit the jackpot;-)

[glory]

Never mind, just noticed they had a baby. My godparents just got done putting thier "baby" through medical school so guess it's not them--LOL.

[Prodigal Son]

Bill Gates dropped his wallet in the water?

[meyer]

If they had shut up about this they wouldn't be paying income tax . . . .

Yeah, that was my first thought. Then I got to wondering if the money hadn't been part of some police activity where they may have been marked for a future drug bust. Imagine if the money was lost, but had been used by police to trace the steps of some big-time dealers. And they find you spending this marked money. I don't know about you but I don't relish that thought. At minimum, you could be in trouble for tax evasion.

[porte des morts]

My theory would be that had Christ found the money, He would A)try and find the rightful owner. B)failing to find the rightful owner He would spred the money amongst the most needy.

I see nothing un-ethical in someone finding this bag, and placeing an ad in the local papers to find the owner.To involve the governmnet in this, is asking for no good to come of it.IMHO.(as we are not refering to a wallet or purse or briefcase,with ID. We all have a good idea were this bag came from.)

[another cricket]

Or it could have been money from a robbery or a ransom payment or it could even be funny money. Lots of potential troubles with this cash, maybe even from the guys who lost it.

I would take it to the cops even knowing that if it ever became mine about 50% would go for taxes. I would, after all, be no worse off as it was not money I had earned to begin with.

a.cricket

[ofMagog]

I concur it would be difficult to turn it in. Your idea, porte, has merit in that you would keep none of it. I would like the "after taxes" if it remained unclaimed.

A partner asked one of the female shrinks in our group if she'd go to bed with a stranger for a million dollars if she was assure of confidentiality and safety. She thought only for a moment before answering, "Yes."

He asked if she would go to bed with him for a quarter.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK I AM!"

"We've established that, my dear. Now, we are merely dickering over the price."