Moral victory: Inmate finds money — and the strength to turn it in
4/18/09 | 36 comments
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Moral victory: Inmate finds money — and the strength to turn it in


Inmate on work detail finds moneybag and turns it in
By Diana Bowley
BDN Staff
BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO BY KEVIN BENNETT
John Rooney, an inmate at Charleston Correctional Facility, cleans up after painting floors at the Medford town office on Friday. Rooney was picking up litter in Dover-Foxcroft with other inmates on a restitution work crew Tuesday when he came across a bag of money, which he turned over to prison officials. Buy Photo
DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine — John Rooney, 45, easily could have pocketed the contents of a moneybag and discarded the item where he found it Thursday.

But he didn’t.

Instead, the Charleston Correctional Facility inmate walked over to his supervisor, handed him the bag and then resumed his community service project picking up roadside trash on Dump Road in Dover-Foxcroft.

“What’s particularly interesting about this inmate is that his current sentence is for forgery and theft,” Jeff Morin, director of the correctional facility, said Friday.

“He’s taken a huge step forward and [is] proving that he is changing the way of his thought patterns of the past.”

Rooney, a third-time felon, said he found the bag of money, looked inside and saw cash and checks, as well as a book that said Sunday School. “I knew it was money from a church,” he said Friday.

It turned out to be a bank deposit for the Church of the Nazarene in Dover-Foxcroft, dating back to December 2007.

Neal Pinkerton, a facility supervisor of the work detail, gathered up the inmates and took them and the moneybag to the Dover-Foxcroft Police Department.

The wet moneybag contained mostly checks made out to the church in 2007, according to Jeff Weatherbee, a police department dispatcher. “It was nice of him to turn it in,” he said.

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Weatherbee said an official from the Church of the Nazarene said the congregation had been told the moneybag was lost in 2007 so the checks could be canceled.

Sandra Cookson of Milo, the church’s treasurer, said she was glad someone turned over the moneybag and was surprised it was found on Dump Road, since it’s not an area where she travels.

She said her husband had placed the moneybag on their vehicle trunk just before they left the Dover-Foxcroft church and then forgot it was there. She said there were checks and $26 left in the bag but $100.93 was missing. She believes someone picked the moneybag up elsewhere, took some of the cash and then discarded it on Dump Road. Why the thief left the $26 in the bag is a mystery, she said.

Rooney’s honesty was applauded by prison officials. The inmate was called to the office Friday morning by the on-duty supervisor and congratulated and thanked for his honesty, Morin said. “A lot of staff have been patting him on the back trying to reinforce the act because it could have gone the other way very easily.”

Deeds such as this are noted in behavioral management books maintained for each inmate, according to Morin. Inmates earn good time through the work they do for restitution, and incidents such as this are considered in the facility’s internal merit system.

Rooney previously served prison time for a drug offense while in the military and later served time for embezzlement from a private company, Morin said.

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Comments
36 comments on this item
On 4/17/09 at 9:05 PM, captainandy wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Pardon him immediately and free his bed up for a child molester!

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On 4/17/09 at 10:11 PM, sebec39 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Did he get a reward for finding the money?

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On 4/17/09 at 10:55 PM, JoyJessun wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

this church should definitely reward this man for returning the money, they should also welcome him into their church. Maybe all this guy really needs is to know the forgiveness and compassion of God and that doing the right thing will benefit him far more than stealing.,

I agree with captainandy. free this one and toss in a child molester, for life!

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On 4/18/09 at 3:26 AM, Amazed wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

When we do a good deed, the wonderful feeling we have inside of us, should be reward enough.

Obviously this man has respect for churches, maybe the good Lord is trying to tell him something.

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On 4/18/09 at 4:05 AM, underthechamberlain wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I AGREE CAPTAIN ANDY

!!!!

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On 4/18/09 at 7:17 AM, yankee04462 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I agree pardon him, and have him run for political office. Maybe he would give money back to people that really need it.

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On 4/18/09 at 7:41 AM, JWBooth wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

"Why the thief left the $26 in the bag is a mystery, she said..."

ROTFLMAO check the pockets of the guard and the Dover police if you want to find the missing $100.93

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On 4/18/09 at 7:50 AM, dgermond wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

First, I agree with Captainandy and I think 4or 5 child molester's could share that bunk. Mr. Rooney's heart was touched by the Lord. This act was the first brick in his future foundation and not everyone gets such a chance to prove they can turn over a new leaf.

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On 4/18/09 at 8:29 AM, ThomasPaines wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Oh yeah lets praise this scumbag for doing the right thing jesus BDN dont you have better stories to print or are you so pathetic your going to worship a criminal just because he did one right thing in his life.Everyone said he could have taken the money,don't they get searched before they are brought back to the jail?WTF?Hes still a loser!

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On 4/18/09 at 8:54 AM, Scollins327 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

nobody would leave some cash behind......unless it was a guard....because the inmate knew cash was in the bag!

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On 4/18/09 at 9:14 AM, JillT1981 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

ThomasPaines....first off, not ALL convicts are bad people. They just get caught up with stuff and then they make bad decisions. What makes him a "scumbag"? According to his record, that the BDN published, he spent time for forgery and embezzlement, that doesn't make him a "scumbag", that makes him someone who was probably down and out, having a long spell with not being able to make ends meet.

The guards probably already knew something about that money bag, I don't know. The point of the story is to tell us that this guy did the right thing, despite his reputation, he's trying to make amends and is hoping for forgiveness, not only from the community, but from God as well.

Judge not, Lest ye be judged first ThomasPaines. I'm sure you're NOT holier than Thou, and you'll have some forgiveness to be begging for at some point.

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On 4/18/09 at 9:21 AM, RogerNamVet wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

The daughter of a local, elderly church treasurer stole money for years before it was discovered, and there was no prosecution. A friend watched a veteran activist pocket $100 donated for veterans, about 30 years ago. I can't count how many trusted people I've heard about who, later, have been found out to have stolen large amounts of money. Bernie Madoff is only famous because he stole more than others. When it comes to money, I don't even trust myself. :)

PS I get the BDN for free via the Internet, so I can't comment on the quality of the stories, or the idiots like myself who make comments.

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On 4/18/09 at 9:51 AM, Ravenbait wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

He turned it in because that was his only avenue.Search before returned to cell would of found it,anyway.Money missing but not all?suspicious.

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On 4/18/09 at 10:01 AM, outlaw wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

he did the right thing turned it in so give him a break god works in strange ways but he works peace

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On 4/18/09 at 10:05 AM, free2bee wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Anyone know what felonies this guy was in for?

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On 4/18/09 at 10:07 AM, free2bee wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Never mind - forgery and theft. Yes let's just set him free because he certainly didn't harm anyone with his crimes.

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On 4/18/09 at 10:25 AM, pcme2000 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

He did a good thing and it is good that he was thamked for turning the bag in.

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On 4/18/09 at 10:47 AM, Ravenbait wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

yes,this was a good thing he did.Does not excuse his past crimes.

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On 4/18/09 at 11:44 AM, sectar wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Really? Is this a serious article...let him out, for what?

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On 4/18/09 at 1:41 PM, outlaw wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

ok ive been in jail before im no angel and i believe if you cant do the time dont do the crime but that was then and this is now he could have hid it and got a friend to pick it up because yes they search you real good back at jail and before transport they do a quick search but he told the guard shows if given the chance even bad people can do good things i say right on man now continue to follow the right path face it jail sucks peace

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On 4/18/09 at 4:11 PM, equalrightsforall wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I have been deeply hurt by years of being victimized by forgery and theft. Forgery and theft is not a victimless crime. IIt is a form of rape. Doing the right thing is the right thing to do. What he did is a step in the right direction, but he definately has other steps that he needs to do including restitution..

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On 4/18/09 at 6:15 PM, CeeBlue wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

If only our collection of morally bankrupt politicians could come to the same epiphany.

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On 4/18/09 at 8:29 PM, justanopinion wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

im sorry to say this because i truely hope people can turn themselves around, but what option did he have other than to return it. He couldnt keep the 26 bucks they get searched when they return to jail and he couldnt do anyting with the checks. I guess he could have just left it but he did what was right. I guess my question is what would he have done if he had a way to keep it.

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On 4/19/09 at 1:49 PM, knine620 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

he'd have to return it, inmates are searched.

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On 4/19/09 at 6:56 PM, momof1 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

would he have found a way to hide the money if it had been $2,600.00 or more in cash, afterall $26.00 in cash is nothing, and yes he could do nothing with the checks. but it does look good for him by turning in what he found. But, yes he did the right thing. and justanopinion, I totally agree with you.

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On 4/19/09 at 10:44 PM, JoeCentral wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

this guy is showing more integrity than Kevin Stitham, District Court Judge, the Millinocket PD, or the former pick of Milo's police chief. I'm for a pardon.

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On 4/20/09 at 5:48 AM, inmaine08 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

He's right, it was the right thing to do! He should be very proud of himself!!

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On 4/20/09 at 7:28 AM, patom1 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I'm curious as to what his sentence is for the crimes he was convicted of. Do they compare with William Bryson, who got 15 years with all but 7 1/2 suspended for killing a 2 year old in his care?

Our justice system needs some scrutiny in sentencing. Our system seems to be more concerned with incarcerating people who are a threat to property rather than others lives.

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On 4/20/09 at 11:06 AM, lovinAZlivin wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Joy, I have to ask. Is Joy your real name and did you by chance have a child in EMMC pediatric floor back about...oh...11 yrs ago now.. it's been a long while. I just ask by the way you speak, that you are the lady I met there years ago when my daughter was in the pediatric ICU, and if so, I would like to thank you in grand amounts. I do hope you check back on this article.

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On 4/20/09 at 5:17 PM, momof1 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

JoeCentral, you definitely made one good point there.

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On 4/20/09 at 8:10 PM, underthechamberlain wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

im surprised that he didn't try to stuff this 'wetbag' into his anuus...

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On 4/21/09 at 5:54 AM, Kerry1963 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

It's pretty sad at all the negativity toward this man. He done a good deed and has been thanked for it. And as far as the Bangor Daily News reporting it, what is the big issue, would you rather read all the time of hate crimes, murder, rape, incest, kidnapping, arson and the likes. News is news and it's nice to see something good/positive when times are so troubling. He could have just left the bag and someone else would have found it, not that the checks would be any good. Those that are so negative must be some unhappy folk with nothing good in their lives. He did his crime and he's doing his time and God willing he's working at changing his life. We let murders, rapists, arsonists, bombers all go free on some technicality and I've always wondered how anyone (lawyers, judges, jurors) with a clear conscience could let this happen again and again and again. Maybe this man when he is free after serving his time will come out a new man. We can at least hope and pray for the best for him.

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On 4/21/09 at 7:37 AM, ronfromdowneast wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

JillT1981 wrote "first off, not ALL convicts are bad people".

Yeah, they got to be convicts becasue they were moral law abiding citizens.

The guy you are referring to here has been in prison for drugs, forgery and embezzelment.

Maybe you should personally give him the "JillT1981 good convict award as in your eyes, he is a step above your ordinary garden variety convicted criminal.

Of course, you make a judgement about the guards, who have not been convicted of anything, while holding this three time loser in high esteem because he did what he was supposed to do?

Millions of good, honest people do the right thing every day with no credit sought or given.

Yet you have to defend the "honor" of this convicted felon like he was the second coming of St. Francis of Asissi?

Most people in prison are scumbags. Deal with it.

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On 4/22/09 at 9:13 PM, JillT1981 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

No, Ron, I'm not all saying he deserves an award. And I fully agree MOST people in prison are sh!tbags. I think you missed the point of my post. I was NOT defending his "honor". I was stating possibilities, I don't know him, nor do I want to. I just think that he did the right thing for the first time in his life and he deserves a little credit.

Are you completely "moral" Ron? Do you follow all the laws to the T? Do you always go the speed limit exactly? Do you always do what you are expected to do? Are you Mr. Perfection? Hypothetically... if YOU found an obscene amount of money just lying on the ground in the middle of nowhere, no one around for miles, and no one would ever find out, what would you do? I bet I know.........

To err is to human, Ron. Mistakes (past, present, and future) is human nature.

By the way, I'm "dealing" just fine.

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On 4/23/09 at 4:19 AM, markko wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

RE: 4/18/09 at 8:29 AM, ThomasPaine

Which is more pathetic, ThomasPain, the BDN for writing such stories or you for reading THEN commenting on them?

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On 4/30/09 at 2:41 PM, RooneyFamily wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I really think that some of you should look in the mirror before you type the things you do about anyone regardless of what they have done in their life past or present.

My brother is doing his time for the crime he committed and he also did the time for the past crimes which really have nothing to do with this story, except that people need to have negative things instead of positive things to say about a person regardless if they are in jail or homeless or living in a mansion.

My brother did what he knew was right, regardless of his past.

Congrats to my brother for also donating all of his hair to locks of love and the many other things he has done for MAINE since he has been doing time..(remember he did not have to do anything but his time)

Inmates have more then just a number on their back, and yes I do agree with the poster who said people who commit a crime with paper gets more time then a murder, it is very true.

Like we were always told, "if you do not have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all"

I must say I have enjoyed reading all of the comments.

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