Texas barber returns $128,514 found on top of Bank of America ATM

A Lewisville, Texas, barber returned over $128,000 in cash found on top of a Bank of America ATM, with all money accounted for.

The money, along with 19 checks, was discovered by the man and a woman outside the bank, leading to the funds being returned to Bank of America.

Police determined the cash belonged to Bank of America and was left behind by a Brinks technician who had completed work on the ATM, with no criminal activity involved.

A Lewisville, Texas, barber returned $128,514 in cash he found sitting on top of a Bank of America ATM, with not a dollar missing, Lewisville police said.

The 37-year-old man, who asked not to be identified, came across the bag at roughly 10 a.m. on Aug. 3, outside a Bank of America branch on West Main Street. He was accompanied by a 42-year-old woman. Nearby, officers also recovered a second, smaller bag that held 19 checks, CBS News Texas reported.

Information on one of the bags suggested the money might belong to a nearby Chick-fil-A, so the man drove there to return it. A manager said the restaurant had no claim to the funds. The man then called 911, and officers arrived to secure the bags.

A bank receipt found inside the cash bag specified the precise dollar amount expected. According to CBS News Texas, officers ran two separate hand counts and put the total through a digital currency counter before the sealed bag went into the Lewisville Police Department property room.

Police determined the money belonged to Bank of America and was being handled by its cash vendor, Brinks. Investigators determined that a Brinks technician had completed work on the ATM and inadvertently failed to take the bag with him when he left. Police found no connection to criminal activity. Bank of America has since recovered the funds.

Lewisville Police Detective Gina Miller said nothing in her career had prepared her for a find of this scale. "I've had cases where good Samaritans have turned in property that they found, wallets, IDs, things like that," Miller told CBS News Texas. "But in the case of $128,000, I've never had somebody turn in that kind of money before."

Lewisville Police Chief Brook Rollins described the man's response as immediate and uncomplicated. "This person didn't blink. They took it directly to where they thought it was supposed to be," Rollins told NBC DFW.

He walked away without asking for anything in return, and Bank of America said it conveyed its appreciation to him. Police noted that failing to return the money could have resulted in a felony-level theft charge.

Lewisville officials said they want to honor the man. He indicated to CBS News Texas that a private departmental ceremony would be something he was open to participating in.