Guilty Conscience Leads to Recovery of $30,000 Tossed in Harbor
Sheriff’s deputies are calling it the case of the soggy money.
An armored car employee who allegedly stole $40,000 while on the job dumped most of it into the San Pedro Harbor after his guilty conscience got the best of him, said Lakewood Sheriff’s Lt. Mike Barnum.
On Saturday, sheriff’s divers recovered $30,000 in soaked bills in 20 feet of water off Sixth Street and Harbor Boulevard, at the spot where the worker admitted he dumped the money, Barnum said.
“The rest he spent or [it] washed away,” he said.
Richard Figueroa, 24, of Los Angeles allegedly stole the money from Dunbar Armored Car Co. on June 11 and admitted it after company supervisors confronted him, Barnum said.
Figueroa turned himself in Saturday morning, Barnum said. Figueroa told deputies he felt guilty about taking the money, so he drove to a jetty at the harbor early Thursday morning and tossed a bag full of cash into the water, Barnum said.
“The money is in real good condition but it’s a bit soggy,” he said. “It’s definitely spendable.”
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