Panhandler found with $3,426.78

By Jason Whitely / 11 News

Mention panhandlers to most METRO riders and you hear the same thing. "It's bad,” explained rider Laura Garrett, “They have little children coming up to you asking 'Ma'am do you have a quarter, a dime, a dollar?'"

Metro Police says it's one of the biggest complaints they get, too. But panhandlers, especially the aggressive ones, are hard to catch in the act like the one undercover officers ran across in downtown Houston Monday afternoon.

"He asked the lady for money and she refused,” said METRO Police Capt. Mike Raney. “He continued the request for more money. The officer was standing just a few feet from the panhandler at the time."

Police stepped in and questioned 42-year-old James Dillon but were not expecting what they were about to find on him.

When Dillon did not have any ID, plain clothes police officers searched him. Looking down in one pocket they found a wad of $1,700 in cash. Looking in the other pocket they found even more money and another citation for panhandling issued last month.

The homeless man’s cash added up to $3,426.78. And he was caught asking for another quarter.
"They sometimes will have a fair sum of money but not that large a sum of money,” Raney added. “That's more than some of us have in our savings account."

Three months ago, METRO Police started placing undercover officers on city buses and light rail trains trying to eliminate the nuisance of panhandling for riders. Cops caught one but police admit the problem persists.

Dillon told officers he had been saving his money but could not deposit it in a bank since he had no identification. He got to keep the cash but was written a new ticket for panhandling.