Remember the old adage “finder keepers, losers weepers?” Apparently, that saying isn't consistent with what's legal

A Chester County man learned that the hard way when he found a $3,000 wad of cash someone dropped at a grocery store in Gap, Lancaster County last year.

After he was identified through security video, the man was charged with a misdemeanor by police, was fined and ordered to perform community service.

LNP/Lancaster Online crime and safety reporter Dan Nephin has been covering this case and joined on The Spark Tuesday, "This man found money. He didn't see anybody around. He went home with it, didn't spend it, but it was captured on video and he was subsequently recognized. Police show up and he gave the money back. But there is a charge. There is a law that says when you find lost or misplace or mis-delivered property or cash, you have to take steps to get it back to its rightful owner."

Nephin was asked what the man should have done when he found the money,"What he should have done under the law is he should have went to the store (saying) I found this money or the police department in this case, it would have been the state police. But he should have taken some some steps to reunite the money with its owner."

What punishment did the man get? Nephin told us,"He got into a program for generally first time offenders or generally nonviolent crimes. It's called accelerated rehabilitative disposition. And it's essentially probation without conviction. In this case, he was given 20 hours of community service and then court costs. But all told, added up to over $2,000."

Nephin found that the level of charges depend on how much money was found or the value of what was found. Anything over $100,000 would result in a first-degree felony.

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