KINSTON, N.C. — A Chick-fil-A employee in North Carolina said he was just doing the right thing when he found nearly $10,000 in the bathroom of the fast-food restaurant and returned it. Being rewarded for his integrity was never on the table.

[ Read more trending news  ]

“That’s not what Jesus would’ve done,” Jaydon Cintron told WITN. “That’s not what God would’ve wanted.”

Cintron, who works at the fast-food restaurant in Kinston, said he was taking his normal break on April 3 when he found two white envelopes in the men’s bathroom, according to the television station.

One envelope was labeled First Citizens Bank and contained $5,000. The second envelope was labeled Truist Bank and held $4,333.

“They were on the floor next to the toilet. My first thought was just like... OK, no, this isn’t happening,” Cintron told WITN. “Something is wrong.”

Cintron took the envelopes filled with $9,833 and “brought it to human services.”

“A lot of people will ... unfortunately, take that money and run with it,” Kinston police Chief Keith Goyette told WITN. “Kudos to that employee at Chick-fil-A. He definitely deserves a reward.”

Cintron did not want a reward.

The person who lost the money came forward to claim it, and he attempted to give Cintron $500 as a token of gratitude. The teenager initially declined, but finally relented.

”True leadership, you know, true integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching,“ restaurant owner John McPhaul told WITN. ”Jaydon did that in this case and he should be commended for it.”

In an emailed statement to People, Cintron said that money was useless without character.

“I was in the right place at the right time, but more than that, my faith teaches me to do what’s right and to care for others,” Cintron told the magazine. “Knowing how devastating it would be to lose something like that, I just wanted to make sure it got back to its owner.

“I’m grateful I could help and I’m humbled by the response.”

© 2026 Cox Media Group