Fisherman Reels in Wallet Stolen 3 Years Ago

[Hum]

Joshua Woods, of La Crosse, Wisconsin, fishes at his favorite local spot along the Black River every chance he gets, and after his most recent big catch, he's not sure why more people don't throw their line in the water there.

"I was dragging it in and I wasn't even sure what it was at first," Woods, 31, told GoodMorningAmerica.com. "It just looked like a dirty old sock, but it had stuff in it. I opened it up and I couldn't even believe it. It was a wallet."

The mystery wallet immediately piqued Woods' interest. Without missing a beat, he took a picture of the wallet by the riverbank and posted it to his Facebook page along with a few details about the contents inside, all in hopes of eventually tracking down the original owner.

"Right away I'm thinking, 'Whose wallet is this? Who even puts wallets in socks to begin with?'" he said.

Fortunately, a driver's license and several credit cards were still inside and remarkably intact for being underwater for so long.

"The ID was still in it, and I knew it was a La Crosse address so I figured it was somebody local, so I should be able to find him," Woods explained. "I tried Googling the name and found too many people, but as soon as I posted the information from his ID on Facebook, I had three people messaging me saying, 'I'm friends with him, I know him.' It was easier than I expected."

The social media site helped connect Woods with the wallet's owner, Jesse Gomez, who still lives in La Crosse, and couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the photo of his long-lost belongings.

"He put my first name, middle initial and last name along with my address on Facebook, and it ended up getting the word out that day," said Gomez, 30. "I never go on Facebook but I'm so glad I did that day."

Gomez still remembers the exact moment the wallet was stolen three long years ago.

"I was DJ'ing a karaoke, and I was stepping away from the booth to get myself another beverage," he said. "I set my wallet on the table and went to get the next singer up on the stage. It was less than two minutes, and my wallet was gone. Someone had stolen it."

The thieves, who Gomez have since located and pressed charges against, maxed out all his credit cards, ruined his credit, and to this day, he is still trying to fix his identity.

"We were able to find out who it was, sue them and do the civil thing, but we were never able to find the wallet," Gomez said.

Until now, thanks to a very lucky fishing day.

"He took it upon himself to give the wallet back," Gomez said of Woods' good deed. "It's so weird that someone would find something like that in the river, but I'm glad he did."

It's safe to say Gomez has learned his lesson about leaving his wallet behind while he quickly runs to get another cocktail.

"It was pay day the day my wallet was stolen," he said. "I had just cashed my check. That was the most expensive drink I ever bought."

source

[spudtrooper]

Uhh.. is this real?  Stolen Credit cards don't lead to maxed out credit and credit repair, if your wallet is stolen, call the bank and they reverse all the charges... sounds like this "DJ" just threw his wallet in the water and hoped getting it stolen would allow him to avoid what he owed.

[Hum]

^ Reading is fundamental:
 

 

The thieves, who Gomez have since located and pressed charges against ....

 

[spudtrooper]

^ Reading is fundamental:

 

 

still doesn't make logical sense..  i've worked in credit card industry and i've had my wallet stolen and i've had thousands of dollars of charges reversed...

 

so i don't buy any of it. :) bs story is bs

[Hum]

^ It says they ruined his credit, and apparently used his identity to open even more credit.

[spudtrooper]

^ It says they ruined his credit, and apparently used his identity to open even more credit.

 

Banks that provide credit cards are legally obligated to hold up the terms of the agreement and to remove fraudulant charges. If you file a police report and report all illegal activities used and the banks refuse to clear that up, you can sue them and not only win for damages but they will be removed from your credit report.

[DaveGreen93]

I'm quite curious as to why he had to post the wallet and information on Facebook to find the guy, when he already had his address?

 

Logic

[Growled Member]

At least he's done his good dead for this week. :)

[Hum]

^ Freudian slip ? :shifty:

[rfirth]

I went shark fishing once in Tomales Bay, California... caught a digital camera in salt water. The camera was full of sand and didn't work anymore, but the memory card did. I was able to get all the pictures off. Some Asian family. The pictures were timestamped several months earlier.

[LittleNeutrino Veteran]

sounds to me like he was the perfect person to steal from, not to bright so it was easy to take, and then still not so bright so it was easy to take more from him after the fact.

[Growled Member]

The only thing that I've ever caught fishing was myself and it hurt like crap getting that hook out.

[Dotdot]

Seen someone catch a duck once. Reeling it in was hilarious!!!