Sanford police say they have located the woman they believe was seen in surveillance video picking up a bag of money dropped by another customer at the Big Apple convenience store on Main Street.

Sanford police in a Facebook post Thursday night said the woman, Valarie LeBlanc, was interviewed and charged with theft of lost, mislaid or misdelivered property. Sanford police said LeBlanc was also in violation of her conditions of release. The post did not provide her age or hometown.

Police allege that LeBlanc stole a large amount of cash that was in the bag, which police described as the type used for bank deposits. The bag had been dropped by a patron.

In security video from inside the Big Apple store – the video was posted on Facebook – a woman can be seen picking up a bag just inside the front door and walking to another part of the store.

“The owner realized it was dropped and went back in and it was gone,” police wrote in a comment on the post, which generated many questions from followers about whether picking up lost money is a crime.

Police said the woman purchased alcohol and provided the clerk with her date of birth, which was in 1974.

Sanford police thanked members of the public who watched the video and helped police identify LeBlanc.


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