UPPER DARBY, Pa. (CBS) — Who says there aren’t honest people in the world?
A SEPTA employee on his way home from work stumbled upon a surprising find. A bag full of cash… and lots of it.
The bag contained over $15,000.
At a press conference, Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood introduced the man as 61-year-old Bob Tracey.
On the drive home from his job on the Norristown High Speed Line, Tracey found a bag along State Road, picked it up, found $15,200 inside and immediately called police.
Bob Tracey (credit: David Madden)
Tracey says, “I knew I did the right thing because in this day and age I know how valuable this money is for someone, if it was a night drop or someone leaving the supermarket. I just thought I was absolutely doing the right thing. I couldn’t keep that.”
Although he admits he was tempted.
“I just came back from vacation,” Tracey said. “So I thought, ‘wow, this is going to pay off my vacation,’ but it’s not my way.”
Upper Darby Police Superintendent Mike Chitwood is grateful. “In this day and age to turn that kind of cash in. Truly, truly a Good Samaritan.”
As for the cash, he said, “In the world of Mike Chitwood, if nobody claims the money, it should go to him. But in the legal world, I don’t know.”
Tracey is getting a lot of praise from friends and co-workers, and his family, who all insist he did the right thing.
KYW Newsradio’s David Madden contributed to this report.
