Struggling Waitress Sues Police For Confiscating $12,000 Tip

April 5th, 2012 - By Victoria Uwumarogie

Source: davidwygant.com

A struggling waitress and mother from Minnesota received the tip of a lifetime a while back when she opened a box with $12,000 in it. While she was trying to do the right thing and decided to contact the police about the money, that’s a decision she now regrets. Here’s the deal-io according to our friends at ABC News:

One day while working at the Fryn’ Pan in Moorhead, Minn., Stacy Knutson found a small box on the table of a customer who was leaving. When she tried to hurry up and return in to the customer, the woman told her to keep it. So she did. And when she opened it, she was surprised to find $12,000 worth of cash in it, wrapped in bundles and with rubber bands. This is what Knutson said in the lawsuit: “Even though I desperately needed the money as my husband and I have five children, I feel I did the right thing by calling the Moorhead Police.”

When she did, Moorhead Police took the money and told her that if it wasn’t claimed within 60 days, it was all hers.

But after 60 days passed, they asked her to wait 90 days.

Then 90 days passed. Still no money.

In the end, the police kept the money and said they would offer Knutson a $1,000 reward as a replacement for turning it in. Why? Despite what you’re thinking (that they played her), the local police say that the money had the smell of marijuana on it, and therefore, they needed to open up a drug investigation on it.

But people working the day Knutson found the money don’t believe that mess, and made their opinions known in an affidavit. It wasn’t drug money, because they know drugs when they smell ‘em:

“I know the smell of marijuana,” said Nickolas Fronning, a line cook at the Fryn’ Pan. “I can also assure you that there was no smell of marijuana on the bills or coming from the box.”

Her lawyer says that he and his client believe someone from her local church, who knew of her money woes found a way to give her the large “tip.” With her large family, Knutson had been working at the Fryn’ Pan for 18 years to help make ends meet.

“Somebody knew she really needed the money and she needed to be helped,” says Craig Richie. “The only thing that smells bad about this is that it’s unfair. So that’s why we’re doing something about it.”

But the police told ABC News that they are not trying to steal from her at all. Lt. Tory Jacobson says they’re actually on her side:

“The police department doesn’t have a decision on either side,” Jacobson said. “She did the right thing, we credit her with that. It’s certainly not the police department against her. We’re actually with her.”

I don’t know folks, this is a really tricky situation. Something about it does smell funny, as though she was left with dirty money. But money is money, and she found it, and it is long past the initial 90 days. So…I say just let the woman have it. However, that’s just my opinion. What about you?

Do you think this money is dirty? Or did it come from a generous person doing a good thing?

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  • Ladybug94

    Just heard through news sources that the police returned the money to the waitress.

  • Deanm1garand

    Why is every single cop a piece of crap? and a thief?

  • Deanm1garand

    ahy

  • http://www.facebook.com/RosarioRed Rosario Stefania Scarsci

    You know what those pigs did with the moolah? They used it for their cars, homes, or bought brand new toys. Hon, next time do not call the police. Keep the money in your possession until someone comes fwd at your job. 

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  • Ladybug94

    The money was given to her as a tip.  What would make her think taking it to the police was the right thing to do?  Did she suspect the lady that told her to keep it was involved in something illegal?  I have heard of well to do people leaving tips to waitresses in excess of thousands of dollars so it is possible that the woman was just well off.  The waitress should have said thank you and come again.

  • guest510

    ummm yea that tip would’ve went right in my purse. Why even turn it in? That was stupid.

  • moritheil

    In the USA, over 90% of bills that have been in circulation for over a few years can be tested and found positive for some kind of drugs.  Therefore, while the police technically have the power to seize the bills as evidence, they generally don’t use that power without having more specific reasons (or else they’d have to regularly go to every bank and clean it out.)

    EDIT: Snopes notes the percentage of money that can be shown to have cocaine traces on it, alone, is already 80% of all bills. http://www.snopes.com/business/money/cocaine.asp

  • Lalatarea

    I’m sorry but this woman is an idiot! its not like she found the money on the street it was given directly to her.WHY wud she think she needed to turn it in? just stupid hopefully her children can learn a lesson from her stupidity.

  • L-Boogie

    LAWSUIT!

  • SMH

    She should have just kept the money. 
    Even though it might have smelled of Mary J, the waitress did nothing illegal. Testing it for Mary J would have simply proved that it was in the presence of Mary J, but it wouldn’t point to a suspect. The lady screwed herself. 

    • Jeniphyer

      in the end the money is gonna end up in a evidence bag of some sort thats it, she should of kept it, a tip is a tip, no matter where the source is from, who knows how many drug dealers have came in a paid their bill with drug profit, i kno she thought she was doing the right thing but she should of just kept the money

      • sweettea

        No it won’t it will get ‘lost’. Ask any immigrant what happens when they are caught with money in their pocket or anybody who’s ever had money or cellphones confiscated. When it’s time to get your property back anything of value will be ‘lost’

      • Ladybug94

        No it won’t.  I’m willing to bet that money is not logged in the property room.  The person she turned it in to probably split it with his supervisor and they are somewhere smiling.

      • SMHgurl24

        They.actually gave her bck the money. It was on the news but if she didnt go to the press I bet it would of ”dissapeared”..

  • Shanettabell

    I don’t understand why she reported it to the police anyway. She should’ve kept her mouth shut and took her blessing. The lady told her to keep it I mean really who the hell leaves a big a** tip like that? That was stupidity on her part now look what she has to go through.

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