NYC Taxi Driver Zubiru Jalloh Gets $1,000 Reward After Returning $100,000 Worth Of Jewelry Left In Cab

Cabbie Returns $100K Worth Of Jewelry, Cash Left In Taxi

February 15, 2011 8:00 PM

Reporting Tony Aiello

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NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – To most taxi riders, $100,000 left in the back of a cab is as good as gone, but John James is a lucky man.

After returning to his apartment at the National Arts Club Sunday afternoon, James realized he forgot a bag with $100,000 worth of jewelry and cash in the back seat of a taxi cab.

“I thought that it was the end of the world, James said.

With the help of a friend in city government and a receipt he thankfully kept, James was able to track down cabbie Zubiru Jalloh.

Cabbie Returns $100K Worth Of Jewelry, Cash Left In Taxi

John James (L), Zubiru Jalloh (R) (Photos/CBS 2)

“The man had my possessions because he took it from the backseat when new passengers got on and were, I guess, messing with my tote bag,” James told 1010 WINS. ”He asked to have it lifted up to the front seat where he protected it and then took it home.”

TLC chairman David Yassky said it was important for people to keep their taxi receipts.

“We’ve got our GPS locators in every taxi, so if you give us the receipt, we can identify the taxi cab and find if your property is still there,” he said.

James got his bag back Monday and offered Jalloh a $1,000 reward, which the cabbie reluctantly accepted. Jalloh was also asked to attend the club’s Valentine’s Day party but declined the invitation.

When presented with the fact that he could have easily lied and said there was no bag in the cab, Jalloh, who is Muslim, said “of course.”

“But that’s not me. My religion does not accept that,” he told CBS 2′s Tony Aiello.

“People in New York, you know, try to give back because the city has been so good to us and you hear such horrible stories it’s nice to hear positive ones,” James said. “People that go about their business, everyday, doing and living are the real heroes.”

This is my job — to be honest and truthful to people. That’s exactly what my religion told me. He said ‘please, have this money’ so he gave me one thousand dollars cash,” Jalloh said.

What do you make of Jalloh’s honesty? Sound off in our comments section.

Yeye Vargas

In the Bible there is a place that says that if I find anything and I cannot find the owner, I must keep it for 30 days until I either find the owner or the owner find is lookinf for it and enquires or makes an inquiry. Other than that after 30 days I will keep the lost item.
However if I find $100,000 with no name on it I will keep it. It would be very stupid to handed it over to police officers or anyone for that matter

ZAC

yes i to love GOD,AND ONE MAN LOST COULD BE ANOTHER MAN BLESSING. I WOULD NOT HAVE GIVEN MY BLESSING BACK, I WOULD THANK GOD FOR THIS $100,000 BLESSING AN THEN BY A HOUSE.

sophie

“What good is it for a man to gain the world and lose his soul?”

“You cannot serve both God and money”

“The rich man can pay a ransom but the poor man is never threatened”

“Better a diner of herbs in a house where there is love than meat where there is anger”

Go read your Bible if you love God so much! He’d never bless you for stealing.

omo-ekun

It takes more than 20 years workimg on minium wage to save $10,000. This guy must be anangel, because cabdrivers incomeis slightly over a minum wage worker. Iwill keep the money, because send it to me
sawney bean

The man does the right thing and all you can do is denigrate him and his religion? You should be ashamed of yourselves. You control how you act and you should try to act with a little class.
MohammadIslam

I think is more about ethics than being associated with any religion. All religions provide good guidance, the grooming process plays a major role. The moto should be, “I should not use the money that is not earned by me”. This goes a long way: from sincerely working at your job and not count on lottos.
Lisa

Good Job Cabbie, I would expact that of any human of any faith. Don’t be so closed minded people. Seems we get less intelligent when we only see things one way.
Moy Tarkington

My momma always told me that Jewish is as Jewish does
jeff

The people who say the drivers intentions are suspect because he took the bag home doesn’t hold much water. All he had to say was another customer must have taken it and he never saw a bag!
eddy

isreal ….?? you mean palestine cousin ??
guy

“i gave it back because i’m muslim”…y cant people do things like this because its the right thing to do?

Kathy

good job, GOD BLESS YOU!!!!!!!!!!
People need to stop all the HATE, we are all God people. Not all Muslims are bad.
Kathy

imadam

and not all xtians and jews are good either

rocco pslmisano

he had no intention of giving the money back or he would have turned it over to police.

Brian

yeah so that they could consider TAKING it!
Im Adam

You can always tell a Muslim hater by the fact that they can’t give a Muslim credit for doing a good deed. The police and civil servants like ambulance drivers are the biggest thieves in the world. I know from experience when I had to go to the ER once and the EMS driver stole $140 that was placed on my kitchen counter earlier by my son without me knowing. After investigating, we found out that it wasn’t this guys first time pilfering on the job.

Jack Gordon

Good job cabbie
Hopefully you get your green card
Ivan

if only everyone would practice rigorous honest….
phatspeed

LAY YOUR TREASURES IN HEAVEN!!!!!!!!!!!
mary

You are VERY misinformed JMG. Unfortunately it is Israel who is the aggressor.
sojourner

Was $1,000 the tip or the reward? “Oh, taxi….”
tony

‘He asked to have it lifted up to the front seat where he protected it and then took it home.”

says it all right there, if james did not track him down, he would have kept it. and that, my friends, is the absolute truth!!

Cash A Reality Check

BS. If the guy left no ID in the bag, he couldn’t track him down and he could have kept it by saying another passenger had taken it, Sherlock. Give up on detective work, it ain’t your forte.

Kareem

You are an idiot sir dont believe everything you hear becuase it makes you look ignorant and dumb
penny

There are good and bad people of every faith. When the human race grows up and decides to love thy neighbor as thyself, and stop judging others based on stereotypes perhaps there will be peace on earth.

Kathy

You are a good person Penny, God Bless you

NY’er

Hmm, took the bag home for safekeeping. Personally the guy who left it is a cheap prick, he should have givin the guy 10% of the value. Me, sorry guy, there was no bag left in the car.

John

Yeah, 10 grand should cover it. If I found someone else’s stuff I would expect nothing less than $10,000. Everybody’s rich but me, and can afford that. You’re a moron.

Thomas Preston

If you get up one more time than you fall you will make it through.”

sophie

How can you call the guy a cheap prick when you would have stolen the money? Better a cheap prick than a thief!

jason smith

come on stop making israel seem innocent…they are one of the richest countries with one of the biggest military and they also have nuclear weapons…what does palestine have? rocks?
and the palestenians were always there, they never bothered anyone until the zionists came….
i want peace too, but don’t blame ISLAM or Muslims …..

LKJ

When Israel treats Palestinians like human beings and grants them equal rights, then maybe we can talk.
Chris Soderstrom

The United Nations created the country of Israel out of a non-Arab British Protectorate. The Country Palestine was taken from the Ottoman Empire by Great Britain during the War. It was under British rule, not Arab rule. Jews have been in Palestine since the days of Christ and before. why can’t the Arabs just accept the partition of Palestine into two countries the way the United Nations decided was fair? The Israelis have fought 4 or more wars just to protect the land given them by the United Nations.

Homie

Bet that bag smelled!

Orson

Perhaps some of the reward could go toward purchasing an air freshener.

A real muslim

you dont know anything about sharia law or Islam if you think every muslim is ”conditioned” to lie to every non-muslim. the biggest problem in Islam is misinterpetation and people take advantage of that and spread a wrong message. regarding this case let me assure you every muslim living and earning in a foriegn country is bound by islam to protect that country with his blood and sweat fighting for it as he has lived there and earned a living there. so NO it does not conflict with muslim teachings. The man is an honest one..there are good muslims in this world, the others who spread oppression and terror are Not muslims.
DanTe

Yeah, so honest, he didn’t turn it into the police. But kept it in his home … for “safe” keeping … until he was tracked down.

But, that dope deserves to lose his jewels.

Terrified

Finally, a slight ray of logic… Thank you DanTe, for pointing out the obvious; apparently a little too obvious for most commenters.

David Flores

good job cabbie, now hurry up i am late for work
Todd Evora

my neighbors are muslim and they are the most honest people i know,the rest of new york could learn something from ths experience.

jane

LOL@learning

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