Returning what isn’t yours is one of the first lessons you’re taught. It’s simple to do, but the temptation to keep something can be a little overwhelming to many. Maybe look to this young man from New Mexico for a bit of inspiration?
It began when Jose Nuñez Romaniz went out to look for socks for his grandfather.
The 19-year-old resident of New Mexico was out to make a transaction for an online order. He couldn’t find the socks they wanted in any stores, so Jose ordered them online.
So he drove to the bank, and that’s where the big part of this story happened.
Jose found a plastic bag on the ground near an ATM, and it was filled with stacks upon stacks of cash.
It was an incredibly thick stack of bills that amounted to more money than he’d ever seen.
“I didn’t know what to do. I was, like, dreaming.” – he said
That was a whole lot of money. Most of us might think of keeping at least some of it.
Times are hard, and finders keepers, right? Jose didn’t count how much the bills amounted to, but it was surely enough to make a difference in someone’s life.
But the thought of keeping it never once crossed Jose’s mind. He was confused, if anything.
Cash like this doesn’t just end up on the ground. He wondered if he was being filmed. Or worse, that it was bait and he was going to get kidnapped or something.
Thankfully, neither of those things happened.
Instead, Jose called the police. The station counted the money and found out how much it was all worth: $135,000.
All the cash that Jose found in that bag amounted to $135,000. Can you imagine just finding that left on the ground?
Jose could have easily kept the money and got himself a new home, or put himself through college. He’d be able to afford traveling wherever he wants too.
Turns out that the cash was left behind by a forgetful bank employee who meant to load it into the ATM.
It was a good thing Jose was raised right. The 19-year-old believes the best kind of money is the kind you earn, and he didn’t earn that $135,000. His parents’ lessons from when he was younger are to thank.
“My parents always taught me to work for my own. Stolen money would never last you any time.” – said Jose
And that truthfulness hasn’t gone unnoticed. A ton of local businesses, as well as the police station, have treated Jose to a few things as thanks.
He was offered a job by the local police chief. His honesty and respect for the law probably caught their attention.
A whole bunch of local establishment, from radio stations to restaurants, all gave Jose $500 cash on the house. Hey, you can’t say he didn’t get any money from all of this!
Jose’s got a whole lot of honesty and integrity, and he deserves the spotlight he got.
His family is proud, and so are we!
Watch the video about it all below. Please give this article a share as well if you enjoyed reading it!