For a man who paid $40 for an antique desk on eBay with the promise of a reputed secret compartment underneath,
it was a once-in-a-lifetime find. He decided to give the piece of furniture a closer look after he got it back to his place.
LeClerc immediately observed that one of the knobs was missing, however there were other issues as well. After that, he started prodding and prodding the desk to see if anything would come out.
The person had a sneaking suspicion that the knob had been misplaced in one of the numerous hidden storage areas found in Governor Winthrop desks.
LeClerc began acquiring substantial quantities of bonds that had reached maturity. ‘We found 50s, then 100s, then 500s, and finally a stack of six $10,000 bonds,’ the explorer said.
He was found to be in possession of $127,000 in bonds that had recently been hidden away after a thorough examination of the desk.
An investment of $40 got that kind of a return, which is really pleasing.
LeClerc was ecstatic at learning of the find at first, but after giving it some thought, he decided that the money was not actually his to keep.
Because he was aware of this fact, he called the auction house to inform the prior owners of the transaction.
As it turned out, the desk had already been sold before it was listed for sale by a guy who asked to remain anonymous, along with other items from his father’s home.
The person wanted to generate money for his father’s medical needs as well as the cost of relocating him into an assisted living home, according to Marg-E Kelley,
the owner of the auction house. The ties were known to the family, but they had been unable to locate the supporting documentation.
LeClerc could have kept the bonds for himself or his family, but he chose to look for the people who were legally entitled to them
rather than act selfishly. In the end, LeClerc’s candor helped the family deal with having an ill father,
and it also made him feel good about himself for acting morally. He remarked, ‘I felt a lot better about it after hearing the family’s story.’