Thousands of dollars stuffed into a dehumidifier donated to the London St. Vincent de Paul Society have gone missing. Police are investigating. While the society and police are tight-lipped about the case, Const. Paul Martin confirmed yesterday the missing funds are "reportedly rather substantial" -- more than $5,000 -- and the matter is being probed by the criminal investigation unit.
It's believed the person who donated the used dehumidifier either forgot or didn't realize it was filled with money.
The person or persons who found the money after the appliance was donated apparently kept the cash.
That's contrary to the 150-year-old society's protocol, which requires found money be turned over to management, said manager Rick Surowaniec.
Police then are asked to track down the money's rightful owner.
Surowaniec stressed police were called immediately as rumours of the missing money spread.
"Within hours we reacted very quickly," he said. "We've been very proactive about this."
Surowaniec said he's concerned the incident could tarnish the non-profit organization's image.
But the organization's provincial boss said potential supporters shouldn't be concerned.
"It's a very serious investigation. We took a grip on it immediately," said Nick Volk, who wouldn't comment on the police probe. "We'd like to complete the investigation before we say anything of a public nature at all."
Martin said it isn't clear what charges -- if any -- would be laid in connection with the probe, but added any money found in such circumstances should be returned to the original owner.
"If you donated a coat and you left a $100 bill in the pocket, did you mean to donate the $100 or just the coat?" he asked.
Last year, such a case cropped up when St. Vincent de Paul volunteers found $6,000 inside a donated coat. Police were asked to seek out the coat's donor, who turned out to be a recent Polish immigrant. The money was returned to the donor.
The St. Vincent de Paul Society is a charitable organization that collects clothing and other goods from the public for resale or distribution to the needy.
The organization runs a store at 585 York St. in London.
