Robert Withington, a 57-year-old dog trainer from Connecticut, stumbled upon $4,761 left by a town employee outside a Trumbull bank in May. Arguing "finders-keepers," Withington took the money but eventually returned it, resulting in a criminal charge against him being dropped.
Upon investigation, it was discovered that the money bag belonged to the Trumbull tax collector's office and unintentionally dropped by a town employee. Nevertheless, the focus fell largely on Withington's actions.
Withington claimed, to feels like winning the lottery. Unlike the lottery, however, the bag bore clear signs of ownership - it had the bank's label on the outside and contained deposit slips within. Despite this, neither the police officer escorting the employee to the bank nor the employee himself noticed that the bag was missing.
With these conditions, Withington's "finders-keepers" argument sparked an ethical debate.
Upon facing a potential felony larceny charge, Withington was arrested on August 25. But when his court date came around, he handed the town attorney a bank-certified check to replace the missing amount. Consequently, the charge was dropped, and the state prosecutor's office elected not to comment, according to The Washington Post.
Despite giving back the money, Withington still asserts he did nothing wrong. He pins the blame on the town employee's lack of care, stating, "They dropped the money. Someone from the town should be fired for being so irresponsible," as reported by WHDH. He also has aired his aggravation about the legal process, claiming it "wasted [his] time" and "slandered [his] name."
