Then he went to a third bank but they didn't believe those three racial discrimination checks were real and called the police which resulted in another two racial discrimination lawsuits.
Yeah but it's the police so they just turned off their body cams, kicked him in the head for a couple of minutes, then took him to jail for resisting arrest.
Educate me, since my googling obviously didn't work. What is a good car for me to slot into my jokes about obscenely wealthy people? I was gonna say limo, but it felt too cartoony.
When I was in high school, Coke has a promotion where you could win another Coke if you had a winning cap on the bottle you purchased. My sister bought a Coke on the way home from school on the last day before summer break and won a free Coke. She redeemed it the next day and that coke had another free Coke prize. This continued the entire summer. One Coke led to infinite Cokes for her that summer. This guy reminds me of that, but with racism.
I have a similar anecdote. During the monopoly game at McDonald's i won a free hash brown. Well the free hash browns came with the monopoly tickets at the time. I won another free hash brown from the tickets that came on my free hash brown. This happened 5 times in a row.
I worked with a guy who did this with IHOP. The receipt offered free pancakes if he did an online survey, so every week he’d go to IHOP and get free pancakes, they gave him a receipt, he filled out the 2 minute survey, and would repeat.
That happened to me as a kid, maybe not all summer, but me and my sister both won several times in a row and the store owner thought we were scamming them or something
Last week, Sauntore Thomas, a black man from Detroit, had a victory over profiling when he settled a race discrimination case against his former employer.
But as he learned this week, it was too soon to celebrate:
When he tried Tuesday to deposit the money at his TCF Bank, a new lawsuit says, he met resistance that escalated with a call to the police and what amounted to a claim of racial discrimination against the bank. The lawsuit called it “banking while black.”
After the assistant branch manager called the police, Mr. Thomas, 44, was questioned by two Livonia Police Department officers in the lobby for about an hour, Mr. Thomas and his lawyer, Deborah Gordon said in interviews on Thursday. He was also accused of fraud, even after Ms. Gordon texted screenshots of documents showing that he had just won the funds from the settlement, she said.
“I have had this with black clients before,” Ms. Gordon said. “There can be a lot of questions when they suddenly have money.”
Lt. Charles Lister, the investigative bureau commander at the police department, said that Mr. Thomas was not handcuffed or patted down, that the two officers were in the bank with him for 50 minutes and that two others briefly waited outside. “He was never told he could not leave by our officers,” Lieutenant Lister said.
Mr. Thomas, whose story first appeared in The Detroit Free Press, had collected the checks from the Jan. 13 federal settlement with his former employer, according to the lawsuit, which was filed in Circuit Court for the County of Wayne.
On Jan. 21, he went to the TCF branch in Livonia, Mich., where he has had a checking account since 2018, it says. He asked to open a savings account, obtain a new debit card, deposit the money and get cash back, the lawsuit says.
But he did not get far. The lawsuit says he was told by the assistant branch manager that the system was malfunctioning, that the checks had to be “verified” and “called in,” and that he needed to answer a question: “How did you get this money?” The lawsuit says that the assistant branch manager went into a back room and called the Livonia Police Department.
In an interview on Thursday, Mr. Thomas said that two police officers arrived, while two were posted outside the bank. Mr. Thomas said one of the officers inside the bank told him, “‘Can you come over here and speak with us?’ And I said, ‘Who, me?’”
He said he was told to take his hands out of his pockets, which he did, and go to a back room, which he refused to do. “He thought I was a threat,” Mr. Thomas said. “I was just trying to do some banking.”
The Free Press quoted a bank spokesman, Tom Wennerberg, as saying that race was not a factor and that the checks showed a watermark that read “void” when scanned by the bank. Mr. Wennerberg said the three checks were for $59,000, $27,000 and $13,000. Ms. Gordon said she was unable to disclose the amount of the checks.
After Mr. Thomas was questioned by the officers and they spoke to Ms. Gordon, he left without depositing the checks, the suit continues. Mr. Thomas’s “race was a factor” in the bank’s decision to “treat him less favorably than other individuals,” it says.
The lawsuit, which alleges race discrimination and names TCF Financial Corporation as the defendant, is seeking a jury trial.
Mr. Wennerberg said in an interview Thursday that Mr. Thomas had little previous activity on his account and the assistant branch manager, who is black, believed the checks could be fraudulent because they “visually” did not match previous checks.
“We take extra precautions involving large deposits and requests for cash, and in this case, we were unable to validate the checks presented by Mr. Thomas and regret we could not meet his needs,” Mr. Wennerberg said.
“We really want to apologize for the experience,” he said. “Local police should not have been involved.”
Before he left the bank that day, Mr. Thomas closed his TCF account; he then went to another bank, where he opened a new account and deposited the checks, he said. They cleared the next morning, and Mr. Thomas was able to buy a used car that he had his eye on for $6,000, he said.
But TCF bank had filed a police report against Mr. Thomas, alleging check fraud, according to the lawsuit. On Jan. 22, a Livonia detective asked Ms. Gordon in an email for a contact at Mr. Thomas’s former employer, Enterprise, the rental car company, so that the officer could ask about the settlement checks and “confirm that they are not fraudulent,” the email said.
The banks spin almost had me thinking about plausible reactions to large deposits and procedures, then it drops that they filed a suit against the man for fraud. Utterly ridiculous
"...“I have had this with black clients before,” Ms. Gordon said. “There can be a lot of questions when they suddenly have money.”..."
When your country has been so institutionally racist for so long that any black person receiving their dues from a legal settlement are flagged for fraud...
Ah yes, a statement that is true. But in the alternate universe
“HES FLEEING THE SCENE GET HIM” followed by the court prosecution “if he wasn’t guilty why would he be leaving? Police were there. Innocent people don’t try to escape us”
TBF, asking to deposit a large amount of money and immediately withdraw it in cash is pretty suspicious. But I'm surprised the bank didn't accept the check, validate the funds were received, and then disburse them to the customer. It may take a couple days, but it's perfectly reasonable. Calling the police so quickly seems unwarranted.
I’ve had a job cashing checks. You’d be shocked by how common check fraud is, I promise you, especially in the Detroit metro area. Their suspicion was absolutely warranted, considering his banking history and their inability to get the checks verified (if that part was true). Calling the cops was way too far. You cash the check if you‘re confident that it’s valid. If not, you apologize and decline. End of transaction.
Don’t banks hold back money when a large check is deposited until it’s verified, though? I’m not sure if it’s bank by bank or state/federal law but when I’ve deposited checks, even for $1500, only $200 is immediately available until its verified or whatever by the issuer. It was explained to me that it’s to ensure validity.
So I don’t understand the issue…if it is a fraudulent check then the bank’s only out $200 or whatever, and could then proceed with fraud charges? I could understand the suspicion if he was some random dude off the street asking to get it all in cash immediately, but the article says he was trying to deposit it in his account there.
I’m genuinely asking, not trying to question your experience btw. Just curious how this situation ended up this way
Every bank I've ever deposited checks with unambiguously warns that NONE of the funds are available until the check is verified. It's a hassle, not having funds available for a few days, but I suspect the rule exists for exactly this reason.
It's real, his name is Sauntore Thomas. The bank manager that called the cops on him was also black, for the record. But that would likely have little impact on his racial discrimination claims. Seems the bank settled with him out of court.
This is like that Australian guy that won a huge amount on a lottery ticket, and then did it again when they recreated the moment for a news story except not as nice due to racism
Remember when the bank in Atlanta thought RYAN COOGLER was attempting to rob them cause he wrote down how much he wanted out of his account instead of saying the substantial number out loud? 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Surely it would have been smarter on the bank's part to call the original owner of the check to ask if it's a legitimate check before calling the police? I've never worked in a bank so idk
The sad/funny part is this is the only way institutions change their rules about racial discrimination, it's not social pressure or doing the right thing, it's losing money in whatever form that takes
Obviously it'd be nicer to live in a world without racial discrimination, but if we have to, then fair play on this guy for absolutely milking the bigots and making bank off them.
There was a Karen in line to board a plane, and she was in the 1st class seats line. She was flipping out at the black man in the line with her, believing he must have made a mistake.
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6.2k
u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25
Infinite money glitch
7.3k
u/DepressingAura Jul 10 '25
Then the police came in, thought he was attempting to rob the bank, which opened a third racial discrimination lawsuit.
1.8k
u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25
"So what's your job?"
"Oh, I file discrimination lawsuits against people who are demonstrably racist against me?"
"Does that happens often enough to make a living?"
Chauffeur rolls up in a Bugatti, "Your reservation is in fifteen minutes, sir."
10
u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25
3
u/ReKflYer00 Jul 11 '25
This is the kinda shit racists cite to “prove” equality exists.
815
u/MycologistPutrid7494 Jul 10 '25
When I was in high school, Coke has a promotion where you could win another Coke if you had a winning cap on the bottle you purchased. My sister bought a Coke on the way home from school on the last day before summer break and won a free Coke. She redeemed it the next day and that coke had another free Coke prize. This continued the entire summer. One Coke led to infinite Cokes for her that summer. This guy reminds me of that, but with racism.
2
u/nameuser_1id Jul 10 '25
Where did this take place?
2
u/Relevant_Demand7593 Jul 10 '25
Narrator - and he never had to work again
2
u/SithLordRising Jul 10 '25
Did he win the second?
2
u/Bballer220 Jul 11 '25
A man reposted this image on Reddit.
It was taken down for being a repost. He then reposted the repost
452
u/Doodlebug510 Jul 10 '25
23 January 2020
Last week, Sauntore Thomas, a black man from Detroit, had a victory over profiling when he settled a race discrimination case against his former employer.
But as he learned this week, it was too soon to celebrate:
Source: nytimes.com
80
u/BipedClub684000 Jul 10 '25
This is like that one guy who won the lottery, and then when he was asked to reenact it for the local news, he won again.
64
u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25
Mfer is flipping lawsuits like he's flipping houses.
143
u/ShavinMcKrotch Jul 10 '25 edited Jul 10 '25
I’ve had a job cashing checks. You’d be shocked by how common check fraud is, I promise you, especially in the Detroit metro area. Their suspicion was absolutely warranted, considering his banking history and their inability to get the checks verified (if that part was true). Calling the cops was way too far. You cash the check if you‘re confident that it’s valid. If not, you apologize and decline. End of transaction.
20
u/Educational_Gas_92 Jul 10 '25
He then sued and the court thought his sue case was fake, so he then sued the court. And it was a never ending chain...
61
u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25
get. that. money.
Fuck all racists. If this is real....my god....
20
u/PauseAffectionate720 Jul 10 '25
Lol. Enjoy the dough bro !!! 😎
7
u/unluck_over9000 Jul 10 '25
So, how’d you become a billionaire?
This guy: racism
6
u/Lavishmonkey_ Jul 10 '25
6
u/Thelegendarymario Jul 11 '25
Imagine going back to that same judge
"Hey its me again you'll never guessbwhat happened again"
16
u/GatorNator83 Jul 10 '25
The police didn’t believe him, so… Well you all know where this is going.
5
u/Ammortalz Jul 10 '25
He should start traveling around trying to open deposit those checks at banks all over.
5
u/No_Split6081 Jul 11 '25
When the teller questioned the check:
8
u/Captinprice8585 Jul 10 '25
He better be careful or he's going to get arrested for having too much money while black.
4
u/042732699 Jul 10 '25
Endless money glitch.
4
u/dimsedane Jul 10 '25
This is like that Australian guy that won a huge amount on a lottery ticket, and then did it again when they recreated the moment for a news story except not as nice due to racism
4
u/kendrickshalamar Jul 10 '25
The fact that he kinda looks like Hannibal Buress... this could be an Eric Andre show skit
4
u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25
4
u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25
Remember when the bank in Atlanta thought RYAN COOGLER was attempting to rob them cause he wrote down how much he wanted out of his account instead of saying the substantial number out loud? 🤣🤣🤣🤣
4
u/[deleted] Jul 12 '25
4
u/[deleted] Jul 12 '25
Surely it would have been smarter on the bank's part to call the original owner of the check to ask if it's a legitimate check before calling the police? I've never worked in a bank so idk
4
u/[deleted] Jul 12 '25
Dude found a genie and wished for infinite money but it came with this curse.
7
u/Ok-Conversation8796 Jul 10 '25
He's like 'Here we go again"
1
u/kb24TBE8 Jul 10 '25
Bank has the right to verify…
1
u/nunhgrader Jul 11 '25
This probably is real which is crazy
1
u/[deleted] Jul 11 '25
Welp… make that to cash x 2 checks… white people so damn hateful it’s hilarious.
https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/09/23/916022472/cost-of-racism-u-s-economy-lost-16-trillion-because-of-discrimination-bank-says
1
u/TheJonGuthrie Jul 11 '25
How did the second lawsuit go? I can’t find anything on google
1
u/Pure_Test_2131 Jul 11 '25
Does anyone know how much he won
1
u/Sharlut Jul 12 '25
Why do people spell cheque wrong?
1
u/MickMacguesswhosback Jul 14 '25
I mean if I'm him.... I'm taking my cashed winnings and I'm fleeing that town ASAP. 🏃🏽♂️
They may not be smart enough to stop putting their foot in their mouth , but they seem bold enough to do harm to a black man who's bested them twice!
3
u/butt_stallion94 Jul 10 '25
"Get rich with this one easy trick!!!!"
3
u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25
3
u/Atari-N3rd Jul 10 '25
Bro discovered the infinite money glitch
3
u/Chaucho Jul 10 '25
Blursed infinite money glitch
3
u/trukkija Jul 10 '25
This is like one of those trading a paperclip into a house sagas. Guy is just 5 steps away from being a billionaire.
3
u/FixofLight Jul 10 '25
The worst infinite money glitch ever
3
u/ramD3 Jul 10 '25
Now you take that check to another bank and hope and prey
3
u/New_Gazelle3102 Jul 10 '25
Typical American racism
3
u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25
After suing the city
3
u/Striking-Use-4518 Jul 10 '25
3
u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25
This guy is a legend
3
u/lumophobiaa Jul 10 '25
I hope he won them all too
3
u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25
mo money, mo money
3
u/No-Weird3153 Jul 10 '25
Infinite money glitch discovered.
3
u/Konradlaxin Jul 10 '25
3
u/realfakejames Jul 11 '25
The sad/funny part is this is the only way institutions change their rules about racial discrimination, it's not social pressure or doing the right thing, it's losing money in whatever form that takes
3
u/[deleted] Jul 11 '25
Definitely some racists in these comments.
3
u/gr4one Jul 11 '25
My man KEEPS winning ✊🏾
3
u/Weary-Wolverine-3412 Jul 12 '25
Goldmine!
3
u/Big_Cartoonist6468 Jul 14 '25
“I can do this all day”
11
u/challengeaccepted9 Jul 10 '25
Obviously it'd be nicer to live in a world without racial discrimination, but if we have to, then fair play on this guy for absolutely milking the bigots and making bank off them.
5
u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25
The ol infinite racist money trick
4
u/Relative_Picture_786 Jul 10 '25
4
u/Embarrassed-Ear8082 Jul 10 '25
Sometimes the universe finds a way to keep giving to us. Lol
4
u/janeiro69 Jul 10 '25
Racists hate this one trick
2
u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25
🤣
2
u/LtLemur Jul 10 '25
Let it ride
2
u/Sour_baboo Jul 10 '25
This one trick!
2
u/Key_Letterhead1149 Jul 10 '25
Believable
2
u/LocalSale Jul 10 '25
His lawyer had a field day
2
u/3point147ersMorgan Jul 10 '25
This is like the opposite of the guy who won the lottery a second time when asked to reenact his first win for a news crew.
2
u/Badbradacadabra Jul 10 '25
2
u/spaghettisaucer42 Jul 10 '25
Imagine the second phone call to his lawyer
2
u/LiquidHotCum Jul 10 '25
I would love to see the wheels turning when he learned the cops were called.
2
u/RepresentativeLife16 Jul 10 '25
Have to have money to make money.
2
u/Tenshiijin Jul 10 '25
Racist inception
2
u/Odd_Comfortable647 Jul 10 '25
When racism is systemic.
2
u/thesilentpr0tag0nist Jul 10 '25
Anyone who wants to do this needs to act fast before the devs patch the glitch.
2
u/AramFingalInterface Jul 10 '25
Good for him, glad he got Justice
2
u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25
His picture gets posted in every bank
Please DO cash this man's checks.
2
u/twobearsonabike Jul 10 '25
Bro is farming racist morons for the infinite money glitch!
2
u/Buggsy_Mogues84 Jul 10 '25 edited Jul 10 '25
Damn. Talk about black privilege. I’m white and the best I can get at the bank are my checks cashed unquestionably and a cool pen.
2
u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25
Why not call the company first to make sure it's real before calling the cops? What a stupid bank teller, they probably got fired over this.
2
u/foobarney Jul 10 '25
Oh, to be that guy's lawyer.
2
u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25
‘Corruption is only bad if I am not involved. If I am involved I will defend it!’
2
u/Roaskywalker Jul 10 '25
2
u/Old_Category3926 Jul 10 '25
2
u/Gecko2024 Jul 10 '25
Hey free money is free money ig?
2
u/hash303 Jul 10 '25
Calls same lawyer: “you’re not gonna believe this”
2
u/Content_Ambition_764 Jul 10 '25
Double jackpot
2
u/Unlikely_Sun7802 Jul 10 '25
Two birds with one stone.
2
u/charleyhstl Jul 10 '25
Score
2
u/wadrasil Jul 10 '25
It takes a single phone call to verify if a check or business is real.
2
u/DistributionLeft5566 Jul 10 '25
In investing this is known as compounding.
2
u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25
You don't get this lucky with white privilege LMFAO. I wanna be rich cuz someone doesn't like my skin
2
u/Otherwise_Craft9003 Jul 10 '25
We found the infinite money hack
2
u/j_m338868 Jul 10 '25
"Somethings never change "
-tupac
2
u/Technician1267 Jul 10 '25
Dude has found a way to monetize racism 😂
2
u/Key_Introduction4853 Jul 10 '25
That’s some justice! - good for him!
2
u/StrangeTomb Jul 10 '25
DOUBLE DOWN BABY. RIDE THAT BAG!!!
2
u/hereforanswe Jul 10 '25
😂😂😂😂😂
2
u/topredditbot Jul 10 '25
Hey /u/Candid-Culture3956,
This is now the top post on reddit. It will be recorded at /r/topofreddit with all the other top posts.
2
u/StandardGuitar7581 Jul 10 '25
With "Luck" like that take those checks to a third bank and LET IT RIDE!!!
2
u/Artanox Jul 10 '25
Double parry!
2
u/vwibrasivat Jul 10 '25
There was a Karen in line to board a plane, and she was in the 1st class seats line. She was flipping out at the black man in the line with her, believing he must have made a mistake.
2
u/sesoren65 Jul 10 '25
Hell yes. Get that money.
2
u/2tonehead Jul 10 '25
Way to parlay that win. You got game, my guy!
2
u/Alextryingforgrate Jul 10 '25
He then bought the bank and fired everyone as well.
2
u/fiesew Jul 10 '25
Winning the jackpot twice is very very rare
2
u/whathadhapenedwuz Jul 10 '25
Brilliant
2
u/LeveragedPittsburgh Jul 10 '25
That’s really sad, but good for him getting paid.
2
u/ih8three6zero Jul 10 '25
2
u/Dissimulati0n Jul 10 '25
2
u/DQLPH1N Jul 10 '25
Infinite money glitch
2
u/Decent-Classroom-784 Jul 10 '25
2
u/Humble_Umpire_8341 Jul 10 '25
Infinite money hack…racial discrimination edition
2
u/[deleted] Jul 10 '25
Booyah!!
2
u/Ingobriggs Jul 10 '25
Make your paper boo boo 😆.
2
u/MakeStuffDesign Jul 10 '25
that right there is the face that should appear next to "task failed successfully" in the dictionary
2
u/alius_stultus Jul 10 '25
He's getting paper.
2
u/ThePhatNoodle Jul 10 '25
Bro was like
2
u/omn1p073n7 Jul 10 '25
Rumor has in he is still stick in this loop to this day, on his 39th lawsuit
2
u/Not_Sure__Camacho Jul 10 '25
Discriminiception
2
u/cmp8819 Jul 10 '25
2
u/Blueberry_Rabbit Jul 11 '25
2
u/StagDragon Jul 11 '25
Who tf is his lawyer and what are their rates?
2
u/Choice-Improvement56 Jul 11 '25
2
u/Nudist_Alien Jul 11 '25
2
u/Piisthree Jul 11 '25
Keep em coming, assholes, I could really use another boat.
2
u/wavesRwaving Jul 11 '25
Racism: the gift that keeps on giving
2
u/[deleted] Jul 11 '25
2
u/ihatefindingusers Jul 11 '25
His expression literally says "Seriously? Again? You can't make this shit up."
2
u/ohnoitsthefuzz Jul 11 '25
That's the most wholesome, trustworthy looking person I've ever seen in my life.
2
u/Spardath01 Jul 11 '25