The saying finders’ keepers is popular among children. But holding on to found items could result in criminal charges.
The law requires you to deliver a found items to its owner, a magistrate, or other peace officer, within 48 hours.
Otherwise, you could be charged with stealing by finding.
Police arrested construction worker Leslie Hendrick Bodie at the Central Bank last month when he tried to exchange $872 in mutilated notes that he’d found while demolishing the Churchill Building, the former site Public Treasury.
Bodie might not have known the law regarding found money. However, he did not know that the Central Bank redeems mutilated notes, provided there is one serial number and at least half of the Governor’s signature.
In a post-arrest statement, he reportedly told investigators that he had found a bag filled with cash in a wall.
Then, Bodie took police to his home in South Beach, where they recovered more damaged money in a black bag. Authorities could not determine the value of the rest of the money because of its poor state.
Certainly, Bodie couldn’t have a legal claim to the money, as it was undoubtedly public funds.
Bodie pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation for three months.
Three years ago, a pregnant teenager was jailed for a month for keeping a Samsung J7 cellphone she’d found in the food court at Marathon Mall.
Police arrested Sasha Newton after she demanded $500 to return the phone, worth $211.68.
However, her sentence was quashed on appeal.
In another case, police charged Hurricane Dorian survivor Ricardo Alvarez with theft by finding after he kept five boat engines that he claimed storm waters had washed onto his property.
Alvarez paid a $500 fine to avoid a three-month jail sentence.
In the eyes of the law, finders’ keepers, losers’ weepers is a crime.
