TRUE! Taxi Driver Finds Huge Money Left Behind In Back Seat And... Returns It!

A Las Vegas taxi driver has been hailed for his honesty after returning $300,000 in cash found in his cab to the rightful owner, the Las Vegas Sun reported on Tuesday.

An unidentified passenger left a bag full of cash in the taxi's back seat early Monday after a successful night of gambling. The back was soon discovered by Mr. Gamboa.

The driver's employer, Yellow Checker Star Transportation, later rewarded the cabbie for his rectitude by giving him a $1,000 bonus and a dinner out for two,. Moreover, the man was named company's driver of the year, according to the newspaper.

It was not clear whether the owner of the cash would also reward Gamboa.

The cabbie could not immediately be reached by Reuters for comment, and his company did not return phone calls. City police declined to comment on the incident.

Gamboa picked up the cash-toting man early on Monday at The Cosmopolitan hotel and drove him to the Palms Place, where he received a $5 tip, he told the newspaper.

Reportedly at Gamboa's next stop, a hotel doorman at the Bellagio discovered the bag in the rear of the cab, and thinking it contained chocolate left behind by a passenger, moved it from the back seat to the front passenger seat.

When the driver stopped at a traffic light, he checked what was inside the bag. Upon discovery of money Gamboa immediately called his dispatcher to report the find.

Using hotel records, the cab company tracked down the passenger, who arrived at the company's office in sweats and a T-shirt - but without any identification.

The local police provided assistance in verifying the man's identity, after which the cash was returned to its owner, who happily shook Gamboa's hand and promised to reward him at a later time.

"If he doesn't give me anything, that's OK," the honest driver told the journalists. "I'm not waiting for any kind of return. I just wanted to do the right thing, and I appreciate what the company did for me."