Gold Found in Sewage Pawned by Sanitation Workers

Finders keepers, loser weepers. We’ve all heard, and most of us have probably said this teasing statement at least once in our lives. This saying became quite critical to a trio of Modesto, California sewer workers who found $2,500 worth of jewelry while on the job. The men took the opportunity to sell their lucky finds at a local pawnshop, and were quite happy with themselves for getting that “little extra” perk on the job. Ohio used cars  can’t speak for the workers who found the jewelry, but we are guessing it wasn’t the shiniest they had ever seen.

The men, who thought that the “finders keepers, losers weepers” mantra applied in this case, were wrong. An investigation was started once it was known that the men had found this “buried” treasure and never reported it to their superiors. Apparently, a law exists in Modesto that states if lost property is found, it should at least try to be returned to its original owners. With 25 million gallons of sewage per day, and 670 miles of sewer lines encompassing the area where the jewelry was found, the workers figured the original owners would be nearly impossible to pinpoint.

The sanitation workers will be able to keep their jobs, along with the money they already made from selling their found treasure to the pawnshop. Most likely, the men won’t seek to sell any more gold they find, and the company they work for will make it a clear policy going forward this behavior will not be permitted on the job.