McHenry County Man May Get To Keep Money Found In Garden

JOHNSBURG, Ill. (CBS) -- A McHenry County man is growing closer to collecting more than $100,000 found in his garden.

As WBBM Newsradio's Julie Mann reports, it was back in August when Wayne Sabaj made headlines, when he ventured into his backyard garden and found a bag with stacks of cash among his peppers.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Julie Mann reports

The Johnsburg man turned the money over to police – all $150,000 of it – despite being out of work and in need of cash himself.

The owner of the money has a year to claim and collect it. If that does not happen, the money will go to Sabaj.

Initially, McHenry County sheriff's officials said the money might have been dropped after a residential or commercial burglary. But investigators did not find a link between the money and any specific burglaries.

The Northwest Herald reports the McHenry County Sheriff's office has received several calls from people claiming to be the rightful owner, but the story behind the money remains a mystery.

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• McHenry County
• Julie Mann