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McHenry County Man Close To Collecting $150K He Found In Garden

JOHNSBURG, Ill. (CBS) -- A McHenry County man who found $150,000 in cash in his vegetable garden last year only has to wait another month and a half before he can claim it.

Wayne Sabaj found two bags containing around $150,000 in his garden in unincorporated Johnsburg last August, and turned it over to police. His lawyer, Robert Burke, filed court papers to make sure Sabaj could collect the money if the proper owner of the money is not found.

Burke said he's heard from one business that seemed interested in claiming the cash.

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"I got phone calls from a liquor store, claiming it was their money, but no claim has been filed. I got a call from the owner and some attorney, but no claim's been filed," he said.

The liquor store presumably thought it might have lost the cash in a robbery, but to date, McHenry County authorities have not linked the cash to any robbery.

Burke said he can't tell if Sabaj is anxious to keep the money.

"He's a very low-keyed guy. I can't really identify (it) if he is antsy," he said.

Burke said the magic date is October 1: If nobody has legitimately claimed the cash by then, it belongs to Sabaj.

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