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

[IDemo]

Source: msnbc.com

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.

Knutson went back inside the restaurant, peeked inside the box and to her astonishment found $12,000 in cash rolled up in rubber bands.

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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.

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

[Scuba]

1. Doesn't sound tainted to me. Ms. Knutson has an honorable job ...

... who touched the money previously is not her responsibility.



I read somewhere that a large percentage of US currency tests positive for traces of cocaine. Does that make the twenty in your pocket "tainted"?

[thesquanderer]

5. That was part of her legal argument

re: your comment about most money being tainted, see this quote from the article

“We argued that most money that you carry in your pocket has drug residue on it”

[virgogal]

2. Good for her----right place,right time.

[Booster]

3. Kudos to both the County Attorney's Office & the Moorhead Police Dept.

It was the right thing to do. Stacy did the right thing by turning it in to the police, so we have 2 rights in this case. Damn. That gives me hope.

[Arctic Dave]

4. I rescind my bad remarks about the MPD and

give them a tip of the hat.

[MinneapolisMatt]

6. So happy for her!

She did the right thing by calling the police first, too. Glad she gets to keep it.

[Incitatus]

7. Good

This story pissed me off when I first read it and the cops tried to steal her money.

[Live and Learn]

8. Yeah, but too bad they only did it because of the media attention. nt

[pitohui]

9. this is clearly tainted cash and the whole story is hinky

sorry, doesn't pass the smell test

nobody is above the law and you don't get to get to launder $12K drug money with a wild story that even a 6 year old could not believe

too bad the cops lost their courage and their will to uphold the law in the face of media silliness

no one tips $12K at a place called the "frying pan," jeez, people, some common sense please

[Incitatus]

11. If they could prove it was drug money, that is one thing.

Last edited Fri Apr 6, 2012, 01:14 AM - Edit history (2)

Simply saying that is smells like marijuana is not enough. Link it to an actual crime and get a conviction, then they can have a basis for taking it. If not, tough shit.

And random people leaving their servers very large tips does happen. Sometimes there are people with money who like to give the less fortunate a break. It's not a common occurrence, but it does happen.




I believe the server is completely innocent of wrongdoing before I believe this is some kind of money laundering scam. There are better ways to launder money and for just $12K you can spend it carefully without attracting unwanted attention.

[2ndAmForComputers]

13. U mad?

A poor worker got a break. Get over it.

[stlsaxman]

14. I always thought that "laundering" money meant you get to keep it once it's "clean"?

not putting it back into the economy.

Good money or bad- it's all hers now.

The police know she has it and if anyone tries to "get it back" from her they're really, really stupid.

[SamG]

23. I guess you never worked a 10 hour shift waiting tables

Sure, the story is unbelievable, but the waitress did everything in an attempt to comply with the law, and she did it voluntarily. She has committed no crime, or at least there is no evidence that she has, in any way, involved herself in criminal activity.


So get over it. This is just a lucky break for the waitress, and no amount of war on drugs legally can take this money away from her. Too damn bad for you law and order wingers, just great for her.

[Historic NY]

10. Someone thought she earned it...

whether it was a smile, a kind word, a movement or just good service.

[MADem]

12. "Agreed to let her keep all the money?" They had no reason to take it from her.

They had no evidence of a crime. Everyone's money has drug residue on it, that is the truth.

I wonder how much the lawyer skimmed off.

[malthaussen]

17. We have become so accustomed to the authoritarian fire drill

That we quote their line of shit unconsciously. "Allowed her to keep" the money, indeed.

I'm glad she got the cash, I'm sorry she had to pay some of it to a lawyer to keep it. Probably 50%.

-- Mal

[sendero]

15. Awesome!

I love it when justice and reality prevail!

[Odin2005]

16. This gal was my waitress when I went out to eat last Sunday!

Small world!

[babydollhead]

18. wonder if it has to do with this guy

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2012/02/29/over-2-million-stolen-in-armored-car-robbery/

http://www.updaternewz.com/2012/03/armored-car-suspect-leaves-clue-on-grave/

[RebelOne]

19. Good for her. She should have never called the police.

I know I wouldn't. If someone handed me $12,000, I would have considered mine.

[Devil_Fish]

20. I know. If it were me, I would have a new car right now. NT

[MormonReform]

21. Sad

No politician will stick up for her?

[Egalitarian Thug]

22. Good for her, but it's worth pointing out that she got to keep it

for only one reason.

It made the 'news'.

For over 30 years law enforcement has had "the right" to seize assets w/o charging the owner. Publicity is currently the only remedy to this fascist tactic.