'It was like I hit the lottery': Man charged with grand larceny after taking bag containing $5k

A man in Connecticut who found a bag containing almost $5,000 in cash in a parking lot has been charged with larceny after he decided to keep it for himself.

Robert Withington, a 56-year-old Trumbull resident, spotted the bag on the ground as he was leaving a bank on May 30.

“It’s not like this was planned out,” Withington told the Connecticut Post. “Everything was in the moment, and it was like I hit the lottery. That was it.”

Trumbull Police reported that Withington found a bag clearly marked with a bank's insignia outside the same bank. The bag contained cash from the town's tax department. Police found "numerous documents" identifying Trumbull as the rightful owner of the cash.

An employee from the Trumbull Tax Collector's office reported that they couldn't find a bag during a deposit at the bank during regular business hours.

After several months of investigation, detectives obtained search warrants, reviewed multiple surveillance videos from local businesses, and conducted numerous interviews. It was eventually discovered that the bag had been inadvertently dropped on the ground outside of the bank and picked up by Withington.

During Withington's police interview, he admitted being present at the bank on the day in question and to taking the bag. He further stated that he did not feel obligated to return the bag to its rightful owner, as per the official release.

“If I knew I was wrong in the first place, I would have given it right back. I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong,” Withington said.

“Anybody who knows me knows all I’m about is generosity,” he said. “After living in this town for 20 years, I’m not looking for trouble.”

He was released from custody to appear in court on Sept. 5.

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