North Texas man finds more than $128,000 on top of a bank's ATM — and returns every dollar

A routine trip to a Lewisville ATM could have changed one man's financial life a bit. Instead, it revealed something rich about his character.

Lewisville police say a 37-year-old man found a bag stuffed with $128,514 in cash sitting on top of a Bank of America ATM on West Main Street on Aug. 3. There was also a smaller bag containing 19 checks.

Not a dollar of the cash was missing when the police got it.

"I've never had a case like this before, ever," Lewisville Police Detective Gina Miller said.

According to a police report, the man and a 42-year-old woman had gone to the ATM to withdraw money when they spotted the bags. The information on one of the bags pointed to Chick-fil-A.

The man, who is a barber in Lewisville, asked not to be identified. He told CBS News Texas he couldn't speak about the incident. Police said he was the person who called 911.

Police say he drove to a nearby Chick-fil-A, believing the money might belong to the restaurant. A manager told him it did not.

Inside the cash bag was a bank receipt showing exactly how much money was supposed to be there: $128,514.

That's exactly how much police counted.

An officer counted the money twice and verified the total with a digital currency counter before the cash was sealed and secured in the Lewisville Police Department property room.

"I think to find that kind of money, or that amount of money, is certainly rare," Lewisville Police Chief Brook Rollins said. "That's very unusual. And then to not find it connected to any criminal activity is certainly unusual."

How $128,514 was left behind at a Lewisville ATM

Police reports show the money belonged to Bank of America and was being handled by its cash vendor, Brinks.

Investigators said a Brinks technician serviced the ATM and was supposed to take the money, but accidentally left the funds on top of the machine.

Police found no indication that the cash was connected to a crime.

"The bag was just sitting there," Miller said. "There was no indication of a crime occurring. It looked like it was just left there by accident."

Bank of America has since recovered the money.

Brinks declined to discuss the specifics of the incident, saying in a statement that, as a general practice, it does not comment on law enforcement matters involving the safety of its employees or others.

Lewisville police want to honor the man who returned the money

Police say they now want to recognize the man whose decision made the unusual case even more remarkable.

Miller has handled cases involving people returning wallets, IDs and other lost property. But six figures in cash?

"I've had cases where good Samaritans have turned in property that they found, wallets, IDs, things like that," Miller said. "But in the case of $128,000, I've never had somebody turn in that kind of money before."

Rollins said the episode also demonstrates how much police departments depend on the communities they serve.

"We are one half of the equation, the police; the other half is the community," Rollins said.

As for why the man handed over a bag containing enough cash to make almost anyone stop and stare, Rollins offered a simple explanation.

"I just think he just thinks it's the right thing to do and doesn't think it goes beyond that," Rollins said.

For Lewisville police, the case came with no robbery, no theft and no missing money. Just $128,514 — and one man who decided every dollar belonged to somebody else.

Miller said there is no "Finders keepers, losers weepers." The detective said people have to do due diligence to return what's discovered or end up in trouble with the law.  

The man told CBS News Texas that if the police department honors him, he'll gladly attend a private ceremony.