(Reuters) – Police in Moorhead, Minnesota, will return a $12,000 tip they seized from a struggling local waitress, her attorney said on Thursday. Stacy Knutson, a server at the Fryn’ Pan Restaurant in Moorhead, got the tip back in November from a customer who left a takeout box inside the restaurant. Knutson followed the customer out to parking lot and tried to give her the box but the woman told her to keep it. When Knutson opened it, she found $12,000 in cash.

Knutson called local police and turned in the cash as lost property. At first, police said the cash would be hers if it remained unclaimed for 60 days, according to the lawsuit Knutson filed against the department.

At the end of the 60 days, however, the department told Knutson she would have to wait another 30 days to get the money. Then police told her she would not receive the money at all because it smelled of marijuana and had been seized under a state law. On Thursday, Craig Richie, Knutson’s attorney, said the department had changed its mind and will return the $12,000 to her.

Richie said it was known around Moorhead that Knutson and her husband were having financial problems raising their five children. He said he believed the money was intended as a gift to the family.

Proving a little bad PR can go a long way.



  1. Sterling says:

    Crocked cops! After she won’t “wait” an extra 30 days, the money suddenly smells of weed? Sure!

  2. Henry says:

    Looks like the power of the press still has some value after all. I bet if this story hadn’t made the rounds online, the MPD would have had a shiny new party boat for their next department picnic.

  3. msbpodcast says:

    Look like some mother raised her son or daughter up properly.

    BTW I love the rings.

    Where did your find them? I want some…

  4. jpfitz says:

    Yeah!

  5. Publius says:

    > if this story hadn’t made the rounds online, the MPD would have had a shiny new party boat

    Correct

  6. bobbo, the pragmatic existential evangelical anti-theist says:

    I still don’t get it. If it was a “tip” why report it to the police? Thats just BEGGING to have the money taken away for legitimate reasons and not.

    Well…….she’s lucky. More than once, twice, three times.

  7. Jeff says:

    To bad she won’t see a dime. The lawyer will take a big cut for his services, then she will have to claim it as income and the government will take the rest.

  8. RS says:

    US cash is so used in the drug trade that literally EVERY large bill in circulation has detectable drug residue.

    How’s that prohibition working out for ya?


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