Waitress told to keep found $1,000 as Christmas gift

PUNTA GORDA, Fla., Dec. 23 (UPI) -- A Florida waitress who returned $1,000 cash to the wrong man was awarded the money by the rightful owner for Christmas.

Laishley Crab House waitress Samantha Knight said she found the cash on a seat at the Laishley Crab House in Punta Gorda and returned it to the man she thought had dropped it, WBBH-TV, Fort Myers, reported Monday.

However, Knight discovered after the man had left that the money actually belonged to a different customer, Chuck Behm of Chicago.

Knight said the man who took the money returned to the store Sunday after seeing himself on the news.

"He said, 'I'm so sorry. It was a misunderstanding.' He said, 'I'm from Delaware. The money was in my wallet underneath other stuff. I'm in town buying stuff, so I had that much money,'" Knight said.

Knight said she contacted Behm, who told her to keep the cash as a Christmas present.

"Overwhelmed. I was crying earlier. I called my mom and was like I can't believe it. I called the guy and I was like are you sure?" Knight said.

Knight, who is pregnant, said the $1,000 will be a big help to her family.