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Mystery Of $150K In Vegetable Garden Remains Unsolved

JOHNSBURG, Ill. (CBS) -- A McHenry County man who found $150,000 dollars in his vegetable garden is still waiting to see if he gets to keep the loot.

As WBBM Newsradio's Dave Berner reports, Wayne Sabaj was out working on his garden at his home in unincorporated Johnsburg, when he found the cash in two bags.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio's Dave Berner reports

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He turned the bags in to police right away, and McHenry County sheriff's officials said the money might have been dropped after a residential or commercial burglary.

But now, Sabaj has hired an attorney, and tells the Chicago Tribune his phone has been ringing off the hook, creating just another headache. Reporters keep asking him why he didn't just keep the money, and his answer is always the same – it wasn't his, the newspaper reported.

Investigators have not found a link between the money and any specific burglaries.

In about a year, if no one claims the money, Sabaj could assert a claim for it. But he is not guaranteed the money, the Tribune reported.

The out-of-work carpenter says if he does get the money, his first use for it will be to get his teeth fixed, the newspaper reported.

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