A Connecticut man could go to jail for grand larceny after finding a bag containing $5,000 in the parking lot and keeping it for himself, never realizing it was the city’s tax revenue
- Robert Withington, 57, said he thought he had won the lottery when he found a bag outside a bank in May containing $5,000 in cash.
- Now the dog trainer is facing a major charge of theft and jail time after police said the money was tax revenue from a Connecticut town.
- According to officers in Trumbull, a tax clerk accidentally dropped the bag before Withington found it earlier this year
A Connecticut man could face a prison sentence for grand larceny after finding and keeping a bag containing $5,000 in a parking lot, never realizing it was tax receipts.
Robert Withington, 57, from Trumbull, thought he had won the lottery when he discovered the money in a parking lot outside a bank in May this year.
In reality, the bag had been dropped while being transported to a bank by the city’s tax authorities.
According to Lieutenant Brian Weir of the Trumbull Police Department, the bag was clearly marked with the bank’s insignia, in addition to “numerous documents” identifying the money as belonging to the city’s tax authorities.
However, Withington has claimed that he did not steal the money and that he did not notice anything in the bag that indicates who the money belonged to.
The tax office is located in Trumbull City Hall, pictured here, and is across the street from the bank
He told Hearst Connecticut Media: ‘It’s not like this was planned. Everything was in the moment and it was like entering the lottery. That was it.
“I walked into the parking lot, saw something on the floor, and no one was around, so I picked it up. It’s not like I stole anything.
“If I had known I was wrong at all, I would have given it right back. I didn’t think I was doing anything wrong,” he added.
Police said an employee at the Trumbull Tax Collector’s office was unable to find the bag after arriving at the bank during regular business hours to make a deposit, a police press release said.
Over the next few months, detectives obtained search warrants, reviewed multiple surveillance videos from local businesses, and conducted numerous interviews before learning that the bag had ‘accidentally dropped on the floor outside the bank’ and Withington had taken it.
Lieutenant Brian Weir of the Trumbull Police Department, pictured here, said the bag was clearly marked with the bank’s insignia, in addition to “numerous documents” identifying the money.
When police finally interviewed Withington, they said he acknowledged being at the bank that day and taking the bag.
He told them he believed “he was under no obligation to return the bag to its rightful owner.”
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Withington, who runs a dog training company, continued to profess his innocence and said he was not guilty.
He was charged Friday with third-degree robbery, a misdemeanor punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
Withington was released with a promise to appear in court on September 5.