TOILET TREASURE
I found $600k in a toilet after 500 envelopes fell from wall – I was upset I wasn’t thanked but still ended up with cash
Plus, the little-known laws in place that you must follow when you find money
A PLUMBER made a shocking discovery when he removed a toilet and got showered in cash-filled envelopes.
Justin Cauley from Houston, Texas, found hundreds and thousands of dollars in cash that had been hidden in a wall inside Lakewood Church.
4
4
The loot was linked to the reported theft of $600,000 from a safe by Lakewood Church in 2014.
"We went to go remove the toilet, and I moved some insulation away and about 500 envelopes fell out of the wall," Cauley told local NBC affiliate KPRC of his find in November 2021.
Cauley previously spoke out about his disappointment at not being thanked by televangelist Joel Osteen's church for returning the cash that he could have kept for himself.
"I wanted to hear [Joel Osteen] say, ‘You know, Justin, what you did was right. We understand what you did and what you could have done,'" he told KPRC.
"I feel like, at this point, I should have heard something. I’m just a little upset."
When the theft of the cash was reported in 2014, Crime Stoppers offered a reward of up to $5,000 which was then increased to $25,000 with a donation by Lakewood Church.
However, two years later when there was no news of the money, the church's $20,000 donation was transferred to Crime Stoppers to help the non-profit organization continue its work in Houston.
'A BLESSING'
By the time Cauley called in the find in 2021, the statute of limitation for the crime and its reward had expired and while he was not out for the money, the plumber said he would have appreciated a "thank you" call from the church.
Most read in The US Sun
However, after speaking out about his disappointment, Crime Stoppers decided to gift Cauley the $20,000 donation made by Lakewood at the time of the reward.
The approval of the gift was given in December 2021 and Cauley was informed of Crime Stoppers' intentions.
I thought it was Monopoly money,’ admits man who found $8k cash in a pile on road – what he did with it was a surprise
"We believe that it takes all of us, working together, to keep Houston safe and thriving," Crime Stoppers CEO Rania Mankarious said.
"In 2014, Lakewood Church gave us $20,000 to work on this case. In 2016, they chose to gift us those funds for operations.
"Today, we are gifting that same amount of money to this Good Samaritan and wishing he and his family a wonderful holiday season."
"My heart stopped. Needless to say. I really had no clue that would come about," Cauley told KPRC.
Rules on finding money
The saying "finders, keepers
While state and local laws may differ slightly, the majority will require you to attempt to find the owner of the money.
If you fail to make reasonable efforts to track down the owner, many states can charge you with theft or larceny of lost property.
The penalty will most likely be based on the value of the lost property as larger finds that are kept without making reasonable efforts to find the owner may be classed as a felony rather than a misdemeanor.
The term reasonable efforts includes asking people nearby if they dropped any cash, checking the envelope or wallet (if there is one) for an ID, handing it into a nearby store, or contacting the police on a non-emergency line.
Some laws will authorize the police to return the money to the finder if no one has claimed it after a period of time.
Always check your local and state laws which will most likely outline what to do if you find property or cash.
It is also advised that you contact the police or a criminal defense lawyer who can assist in what the laws state and how you should proceed.
Source: Criminal Defense Lawyer
"Bills are stacking up, work is tryna get slow so I'm tryna make the best of it and today that light shined through."
"This money is gonna help tremendously. It's a bit of a blessing," he said as he thanked the church for the initial donation at the time the reward was announced.
"We are appreciative of the plumber and we hope he pays the gift forward," Andrea Davis, a spokesperson for Lakewood Church, told the news outlet.
The plumber confirmed that part of his reward would be gifted to Houston Crime Stoppers and the animal charity Houston SPCA.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Lakewood Church has been contacted for comment.
The U.S. Sun previously reported on the unusual reward given to a teenager who found $135,000 at a Wells Fargo ATM.
4
4