Wallet On A Sidewalk. Photo: slobo (Getty)
It truly does pay to be honest. Or maybe crime doesn’t pay? Eh, either one applies here. It simply depends whether you’re a glass half-full or half-empty kind of person. A Yanny or Laurel, if you will. Or is it a “brainstorm” or “green needle?” Eh, analogies are tough, so we’ll just pick our poison.
It would seem crime doesn’t pay for North Dakota man Nicholas James Skelly (nailed it). However, for those who didn’t realize you can get in legal trouble for not seeking out the owner of large sums of cash found on the ground, it’s simply a lesson in itself. That’s right, it’s considered a “Class C felony theft of property lost, mislaid, or delivered by mistake,” according to the Minot Daily News.
The story is pretty cut and dry. The victim went to the Acme Tool Crib in Minot, North Dakota on Nov. 11, 2016 looking to rent a trailer. It apparently excited him so much that in his haste, he decided to use a credit card instead of cash. However, the $1,000 he had burning a hole in his pocket fell to the floor somewhere along the way. That’s when 28-year-old Skelly made his move.
Some alternatives to getting thrown in jail for your cash (ill-gotten or otherwise): The Best Things To Do With Your Money Right Now
It’s unclear how Skelly was actually caught red-handed (or green-handed, in this case), but it cost him more than it was worth. Along with being ordered to pay $1,503 in restitution and $525 in court costs, Judge Gary Lee sentenced him to 18 months probation (though originally, it was a year in jail). If he successfully completes his punishment, however, the charge will be reduced to a Class A misdemeanor. All that and he’s still out 1,028 bucks. Bummer.
