A Georgia man who pocketed $30 someone dropped on the floor inside a Walmart returned the cash after police publicly sought help identifying him, ending a case that drew ridicule from social media users who questioned why authorities were chasing a few lost bills.
The Albany Police Department in Georgia posted a photo of the man and asked the public to help identify him after another shopper dropped the cash at a local Walmart.
Police said the man picked up the $30 but did not turn it in to store employees.
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The department’s post drew skeptical and sarcastic reactions from commenters who wondered whether the missing $30 called for a public search.
One user recalled finding a bank envelope containing $8,000 in a parking lot and said that was a different story.
“Now that is something you turn in, not $30 found inside a Walmart,” the user wrote.
Another commenter imagined what might have happened if the money had been turned in to Walmart employees.
“ATTENTION SHOPPERS! $30 HAS BEEN FOUND. IF IT BELONGS TO YOU, PLEASE COME GET IT…” the user wrote.
“What’s the crime lmao?” another user asked.
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The jokes even made their way to an unrelated police post about a shooting.
“I’m just thankful you guys captured that old man who found $30,” one commenter wrote sarcastically. “I’m sleeping a bit more soundly knowing people aren’t out there just finding money like a bunch of savages.”
Police later announced that the man had returned the money to its owner.
The victim initially wanted to pursue charges but changed their mind after getting the $30 back, according to the department.
Georgia law specifically addresses lost or mislaid property, making it a crime to knowingly keep such property without first taking reasonable steps to return it to its owner.
