Honest Man Returns Mistaken $2M Check
AP
Posted: 2007-11-28 13:03:55
SALT LAKE CITY (Nov. 28) -- There are probably a million ways Jerry Mika could spend $2 million dollars. Trouble is, he couldn't cash the check. Expecting a $15 refund from the Utah Department of Commerce, the Draper man opened his mail recently to find a $2,245,342 check.



"I kept trying to find a way to make it legitimate so I could cash it," he said. "I did think about all the things I could do with the money ... who wouldn't?"

Mika returned the check — a mistake that occurred when an employee entered a serial number, not an amount — to state finance offices Wednesday.

"Clearly we have an honest, honest citizen. I wish I could do something more than say thanks," commerce department director Francine Giani said.

Giani said the state will implement additional internal controls to catch such mistakes in the future. A new computer system, which only requires entering the amount of a check once, might have contributed to the problem, she said.

Mika, who runs the nonprofit Providence Foundation to help Nepalese sherpas, said he's had great fun showing off the state's mistake.

"Everybody looked at it, started giggling and asked why I wasn't already in Switzerland," he said.

He admits to being tempted to deposit the money and draw a bit interest before the state asked for its return.

"That money would have gone a long way," he said.

But ultimately honestly and the idea of spending time at the Utah state prison made Mika too nervous to do anything.

Because the check was state-issued, cashing it would probably have been easy, despite the large amount, Giani said.

"It was a valid check," said Rick Beckstead, the state accounting operation manager whose signature is stamped on the check. "But it would have been caught when we did reconciliation and we would have been after him for the refund."

Wow.....that was being honest. But in all probability, that amount would have been verified by a zillion people at the bank and more than likely the mistake would have been found.

They could have at least let him draw a day's interest off the dang thing before they asked for it back...that would have been a nice thank you...

Thankyou Dragoness for sharing this story.... it is very warming.

he should have received the 10%

finders fee

they lost it he found it and returned it

cheap govt officials anyway