Woman who picked up $100 bill not protected by 'finders keepers' law
The Warwick Police Department Facebook page sparked a viral video on Friday, Jan. 5 when they posted surveillance video footage from November of an older woman at Burlington witness another female shopper drop a $100 bill onto the floor, grab it and put it into her purse.
To make the situation more shameful, the woman can be seen making an apparent “shushing” motion with her finger to a young boy in front of her cart who witnessed the whole ordeal.
The video on the WPD Facebook page amassed 24,000 views as of press time and garnered hundreds of shares and comments. Thanks to the social media presence, police said that they have identified the woman in question but have not yet released her name or the status of her situation in regards to the video.
A comment from police in reply to a question regarding whether or not the action committed by the woman was actually a crime – and not just morally suspect – revealed that the action was indeed a criminal act, because the woman could reasonably and clearly ascertain who the true owner of the lost money was, and it is therefore an action of theft.
“Rhode Island larceny laws don’t protect ‘finders keepers’ if a reasonable person knows it belongs to someone else,” the police explained. “This video shows she knew who ‘owns’ the money and made acts to conceal her retrieval of it, therefore a theft. If she had just come along and found it there with no one around, then that is a different case.”
Colonel Stephen McCartney, chief of Warwick Police, said there was no doubt in his mind about whether or not the activity in the video was a crime.
“I think the film speaks for itself,” he said. “We know who she is and we'll see where the investigation goes…This occurred back in November. That’s a lot of time for someone who knows that isn't her money to turn it in, and yet here we are.”
