Homeless Man, Timothy Yost, Finds $77,000 Then Gets Arrested For Public Intoxication And Criminal Trespass

Homeless man Timothy Yost is all smiles after the Bastrop City Council ruled that he is allowed to keep the $77,000 in wet cash and South African coins that he found in a Texas park.

The once homeless Yost reportedly stumbled upon the bag of money when he was washing his feet in the Colorado River in January, Yahoo News reported.

He told police that he kicked the bag to see what was inside and heard a jingle, and when he opened it found wads of wet cash and coins from South Africa, according to a local Austin news outlet.

After Yost tried to swap the wet bills for fresh bills at a bank, the teller decided to call the police. Yost showed officers where he made the discovery, but the city of Bastrop kept the money so police could investigate whether a crime had occurred and try to find the owner.

Under common law in Texas, typically if it is buried and we are not able to find the rightful owner for the funds within the prescribed time period, then the finder of the funds can petition to be awarded those funds, Bastrop Police Chief Michael Blake told Austin's Your News Now.

On Tuesday, June 12, the Bastrop City Council voted unanimously to give the bounty to its rightful finder - Timothy Yost.

It is a great day for Bastrop; it is a great day for Mr. Yost, his attorney, Aleta Peacock, told the American-Statesman.

Alena Peacock, Yost's representative, told the Austin Statesman that the homeless man's stroke of luck will net him 70 $100 bills and 40 Krugerrand gold coins within the next 48 hours.

Yost was unfortunately unavailable to comment on the ruling, as he has since been jailed for public intoxication and criminal trespass.