Los Angeles - The scrap-metal dealer who found 52 of the 55 Oscars that were stolen on their way to the Academy Awards show was given a $50,000 reward yesterday and said his story should serve as a lesson that honesty pays. Mr Willie Fulgear, who found the crates of statuettes near a trash bin, and alerted authorities, was awarded the money by Roadway Express Co, whose employee allegedly stole the statuettes.
Mr Fulgear, who lives in a one-room apartment in Los Angeles, said he would use the money to buy a home in his native Mississippi. He has been invited to attend the Academy Awards show on Sunday. "I'm a poor man who stumbled on some gold, I guess," he said.