update:Big tip or tainted cash? Waitress gets to keep $12,000 left by restaurant customer

[mfcorey1]

Updated 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.
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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.

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/05/11037230-big-tip-or-tainted-cash-waitress-gets-to-keep-12000-left-by-restaurant-customer

[monmouth]

1. Best feel-good story in a long while. Thanks for posting...n/t

[izquierdista]

2. In a case of "do the right thing"

You can count on the cops to want to protect and serve themselves.

[Voice for Peace]

3. very nice story! nt

[frylock]

4. the cops were counting on her not to raise a stink..

so they could STEAL this cash from her.

[pa28]

6. You bet they were.

If this had not become a national story this poor lady would out of luck. Only pressure forced these cops to do the right thing. Not some sudden revelation or burst of goodness.

They'll just move on to the next victim.

[RiffRandell]

7. You got it. n/t

[Kaleva]

9. I dunno. In another article I read...

it said that a judge had to decide who the money belonged to. A police Lt. said they were on the woman's side but couldn't hand over the money till a judge gave the okay.

[Politicalboi]

5. Good to hear

She deserves it. It was given to her. I'm sure if it was a mistake, the person who gave it to her would have spoken up. It's those damned cops who thought they could steal it from her.

[madokie]

8. Its stories like this that renews my faith in humans

For the most part we're all good and kind people. A few aren't but they're in the minority. Due to their reach they seem taller than they really are though. We need to start kicking 'm in the knees to get them down to our size. We can win this war if for no other reason there are so many of us compared to the few of them.