Cops: Man buys car after taking $150,000 left by ATM workers

In this photo provided by the Mahwah, N.J. Police Department is suspect Alton Harvey. Harvey is accused, along with another suspect, of finding and not returning $150,000 in cash that was mistakenly left behind by two ATM workers in Mahwah, Monday, July 27, 2015. (Mahwah, N.J. Police Department via AP) In this photo provided by the Mahwah, N.J. Police Department is suspect Alton Harvey. Harvey is accused, along with another suspect, of finding and not returning $150,000 in cash that was mistakenly left behind by two ATM workers in Mahwah, Monday, July 27, 2015. (Mahwah, N.J. Police Department via AP)

By Associated Press July 31, 2015 2 min read

MAHWAH, N.J. (AP) – One of two men suspected of making off with a bag containing $150,000 in cash that was mistakenly left behind by ATM workers bought an SUV with the money hours later, police said.

Alton Harvey, 42, of Hillside, was arrested Wednesday after police traced a white van that was captured on surveillance video pulling up to the bag of cash that the ATM employees forgot outside a business in Mahwah, in northern New Jersey, on Monday. The video showed a passenger in the van grabbing the bag.

Police said the van was seen in another video pulling into a nearby auto repair business and pilfering used tires.

After finding the van in Irvington, police arrested Harvey.

Harvey said he was driving the van and told detectives that a Chevrolet Tahoe was purchased with cash from the bag soon after it was grabbed, Police Chief James Batelli said in a news release. The SUV, which has a starting sticker price of $46,000, was parked near the van.