The office of sheriff is one of the oldest and most respected constitutional positions in the nation’s judicial system. The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) is one of the largest in North Carolina. Twenty-one Sheriffs have served the citizens of Forsyth County since 1849. FCSO is currently led by Sheriff Bobby F. Kimbrough Jr., who was elected in 2018. Sheriff Kimbrough is known for his passion for serving others and an ongoing commitment to transparency and integrity at FCSO. State Treasurer Dale R. Folwell, CPA, helped the FCSO reclaim some missing money that will enhance that mission.
During a recent review of system data, staff in the Department of State Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property Division (UPD) identified money belonging to the FCSO. Treasurer Folwell presented Sheriff Kimbrough with a check for $5,386 at the Forsyth County Public Safety Center on Monday.
“As a resident of Forsyth County, I am pleased to be able to return this money to such an exemplary law enforcement agency as the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Kimbrough has done such a great job leading the organization,” Treasurer Folwell said. “Sheriffs, deputies, law enforcement and corrections officers throughout North Carolina provide an invaluable service to our citizens, putting their own safety at risk every day to keep us secure. I am glad to be able to return this money to its rightful owners so that it can be used to further the mission of protecting the public.”
“In this time of rising costs, every dollar counts. Nearly every sheriff’s office in North Carolina has money in NCCash.com waiting to be reclaimed, and the Department of State Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property Division is ready, willing and able to assist,” Treasurer Folwell added.
The vision of FCSO is to enhance the quality of life and sense of community in Forsyth County by providing effective criminal justice services that are guided by integrity and compassion and supported by the trust of those they protect.
Their mission is to ensure the security of life and property, prevent crime and disorder, and enforce the laws of North Carolina and the United States.
“We are very fortunate and blessed to have an NC Treasurer who ensures we all receive what is ours. We are beyond grateful for the $5,386.07 that we received today. We will use this money to continue our commitment to serve and protect our community,” said Sheriff Kimbrough.
UPD, commonly called NCCash.com, is the repository for 17.7 million properties valued at $1.02 billion under DST’s custody awaiting return to the rightful owners after being lost, misdirected or overlooked. More than 19 million owners are associated with those properties being safeguarded by DST.
UPD paid 178,857 claims amounting to more than $105 million during the 2022 fiscal year that ended June 30. Both numbers were historical records. The returns are on pace to set another record this fiscal year. Through Nov. 30, UPD has paid 74,979 claims totaling over $44 million from NCCash. Part of that total has been disbursed through the NCCash Match program, a no-hassle, expedited system that eliminated paperwork processing. As of Nov. 30, DST paid 44,200 Cash Match claims totaling about $12.6 million.
Under state law, UPD receives and safeguards funds that are escheated, or turned over, to DST. The unclaimed property consists of bank accounts, wages, utility deposits, insurance policy proceeds, stocks, bonds and contents of safe deposit boxes that have been abandoned.
Unclaimed property can result from a person or entity forgetting they are due money, or from a move of location and forgetting to provide a new address. It also could result from a typing error in a house number or zip code in an address, a name change, or data loss from a business converting its computer system. As society becomes more mobile and steadily moves to electronic transactions, the risk of having unclaimed property has increased.
More information, including how to find out if you are owed money, can be found at https://www.nccash.com/.
