Diamond Ring Finder Sues Owner Over Reward

A woman who recently found a missing ring worth quite a bit of money has reportedly sued the owner for the reward.

Here’s the catch: Bonnie Land was arrested after finding a $20,000 diamond ring inside a tanning salon. However, the woman didn’t know what to do with the ring after she discovered it was still in her pocket several weeks later.

According to The Associated Press, the woman arranged a meeting with the ring’s owner in order to give it back. Unbeknownst to Land, police had been alerted to the situation. When she showed up to return to the item, police decided to ask the woman a few questions.

Several weeks later, Land says she was charged with stealing the diamond ring she had simply forgotten to return. In her eyes, it was an honest mistake.

“I felt so guilty about having it that I just rolled it up in some tissue and put it in a back pocket of my purse. I didn’t know how to take it back,” Land said.

According to the St. Louis Dispatch, the woman who found the ring is now suing its owner Melisa Boucek for the amount of the reward. Instead of being thanked for returning the item, Land says she was arrested and had her “character called into question.”

Jack Banas, former prosecutor and current circuit court judge, explained that elements of Land’s story didn’t add up. Banas wondered why the woman didn’t return the missing diamond ring as soon as she found it in her pocket. He added that he couldn’t imagine a jury giving Land the money for the reward.

Detective Mike Myers said the whole situation could have easily resolved had Land simply returned the ring to an employee of the salon.

“It was found in a room that only was used by one person at a time. Even if it was a week later, why not just go back to the place and say, ‘Hey, has anybody reported this missing?’ ” Myers said.

What do you think about the woman who is suing the owner of a ring she found in a tanning salon?