Doing the right thing: Probation officer returns money found

Though she’d been the victim of identity theft, Probation Officer Chanti Carter-Rene returned an envelope of thousands of dollars she found in the street to a nearby bank…

It was Monday, December 23, 2013, and I had some letters to drop off at the post office during my lunch hour. Having been the recent victim of identity theft, instead of Christmas shopping I was busy mailing out verification forms and affidavits to correct my credit report. Because of the identity theft, and the fact that I believed my own neighbor to be the thief, I was in the process of moving back in with my father before the start of the New Year until I could get everything straightened out.

As I was walking back to the courthouse from the post office, I noticed a bank envelope on the ground. When I bent down to pick it up, I also noticed the bright green tips of paper money. I picked up the envelope, put it in my pocket and kept walking. The weight of the envelope was clear that there were a substantial number of bills inside, but I had no idea the amount or denomination. When I got back to my office, I closed the door, took out the envelope and counted out 35 crisp, brand new one hundred dollar bills.