Updated October 1, 2026, 5:58 p.m. ET
A bag of cash sitting on a Bank of America ATM put a Texas man in a special situation. While many would have kept the money, he searched for the rightful owner.
The 37-year-old Lewisville man found the bag around 10 a.m. Aug. 3 at a Bank of America ATM in the Texas town, about 30 miles north of Dallas. A second bag containing 19 checks was also at the scene, according to CBS News Texas and NBC 5, both citing Lewisville police.
The man, whose name has not been publicly confirmed but who local media said worked as a barber, was at the ATM with a 42-year-old woman when they spotted the bags. Information on one of the bags appeared to link the money to a nearby Chick-fil-A, so he went to the restaurant to try to return it.
After a manager told the man the money didn’t belong there, he called 911 and officers responded to secure the bags and determine who they belonged to, NBC 5 reported.
USA TODAY contacted Lewisville police and Bank of America on Oct. 1, but did not receive a response.
What did the police find out about the money?
Inside the money bag was a bank receipt showing the amount of money it was supposed to contain. Police counted the money twice and used a digital currency counter to verify the total, according to CBS News.
The money belonged to Bank of America and was managed by its cash salesman, Brinks, the outlet reported.
Investigators believe a Brinks technician had been repairing the ATM and accidentally left the bag on top of the machine. Police found no indication the cash was linked to criminal activity.
The amount listed on the receipt matched the amount recovered by police: $128,514. Not a dollar was missing.
Bank of America has since recovered the money, CBS News Texas reported.
Why did the man return the money?
The man did not ask for a reward or seek public attention after handing over the money. Bank of America expressed its gratitude, according to NBC 5.
Lewisville Police Detective Gina Miller said she has handled cases involving people returning lost wallets, IDs and other items, but she has never seen someone hand over that much money.
“I’ve never had a case like this before,” Miller said, according to CBS News Texas.
Police Chief Brook Rollins said the man’s actions were simple: He believed the money belonged to someone else and tried to give it back.
“This person didn’t blink an eye. They took him straight to where they thought he was supposed to be,” Rollins told NBC 5.
Police said failure to return the money could have resulted in a theft charge.
Lewisville officials said they want to recognize the man for returning the funds. Although he avoided public attention, he told CBS News Texas he would attend a private ceremony if police honored him.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com or on X @athompsonUSAT
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