"Homeless man gets back nearly $10k in cash left on bus bench" AP June 11, 2015
LAUDERDALE-BY-THE-SEA, Fla. — A South Florida homeless man has been reunited with an inheritance of nearly $10,000 in cash, stuffed into two envelopes, that he had accidentally left on a bus bench early this month.
A Broward County sheriff’s deputy and a good Samaritan found the cash and authorities were able to track the man down and return the money days later, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.
A deceased relative had left the man nearly $12,000. Detective Danny Mursell said deputies have identified the man only by his first name, Joe, for his protection.
On June 1, the man withdrew nearly $10,000 from a bank account and went shopping, deputies said. Mursell said Joe mistakenly left two plastic bags of merchandise along with the two envelopes full of cash on a bench at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.
During the early hours of June 4, John Harbett said he was on volunteer beach patrol looking for turtle hatchlings when he spotted an envelope containing $3,900 at the bus stop nearby. Mursell said Harbett picked it up so no one else would take it.
A short time later, Deputy Ben Koos saw the bags of merchandise and found an envelope with $5,600 inside, and took them back to a sheriff’s office. That morning, Harbett showed up at the sheriff’s office to turn in the cash he had found, Mursell said.
Investigators found a receipt from a clothing store, got a surveillance picture of Joe from the store, and tracked him down.
Mursell said the man planned to use the funds to move to Pennsylvania to be with family and friends.
--more--"
Related: Taking a Break on the BETA Bench
