A 37-year-old Lewisville man found two bags on top of a Bank of America ATM on Aug. 3 — one containing $128,514 and another with 19 checks. After tracing a label to a nearby Chick-fil-A and confirming it wasn't theirs, he called 911 and turned the bags over to police. Investigators say the cash belonged to Bank of America and was likely left by a Brinks technician; the full amount was recovered. Local officials praised the man's honesty and plan to honor him.
Texas Man Finds $128,514 on Bank of America ATM — Tracks Down Owner and Hands It Over
A Bank of America ATM machine on July 18, 2022 in Miami, Florida.
A Lewisville, Texas, man stumbled on an extraordinary find on Aug. 3: a bag of cash sitting on top of a Bank of America ATM. Instead of keeping the money, the 37-year-old — who local reports say works as a barber — went to great lengths to find the rightful owner.
About 10 a.m., the man and a 42-year-old woman noticed two bags on the machine. One bag held $128,514 in cash and the other contained 19 checks. A label on a bag appeared to link the cash to a nearby Chick-fil-A, so he drove to the restaurant to return it.
When a manager said the funds did not belong to that location, the man called 911. Lewisville police responded, secured the bags and began an investigation. Officers counted the cash twice and used a digital currency counter to confirm the total.
What Investigators Found
Police say the money belonged to Bank of America and had been handled by the bank's cash vendor, Brinks. Investigators believe a Brinks technician who serviced the ATM inadvertently left the bag on top of the machine. Detectives found no evidence that the money was linked to criminal activity.
The bank receipt found inside the bag matched the cash recovered: $128,514. Not a dollar was missing, and Bank of America has since retrieved the funds.
'I've never had a case like this before, ever,' Detective Gina Miller said, reflecting on how unusual it is to see someone return such a large sum of money.
'This person didn't blink. They took it directly to where they thought it was supposed to be,' Police Chief Brook Rollins added.
The man did not ask for a reward or publicity. Lewisville officials said they want to honor his honesty and that he would attend a private recognition if the department presents one. Authorities also noted that keeping the cash could have led to a felony theft charge.
USA TODAY reported it contacted Lewisville police and Bank of America on Oct. 1 but had not received a response at the time of publication.
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