JAY — A local man was charged Thursday with taking an envelope containing hundreds of dollars in cash that someone accidentally left at the Town Office.

Rene Brochu Jr.,  57, formerly of Lewiston, faces a misdemeanor charge of theft, Chief Larry White Sr. said.

A resident left the Otis Federal Credit Union envelope, which had a little over $600 in it, on the counter at the Town Office, he said. The person returned later to report it was missing.

A clerk at the town office called police about 10:50 a.m. Thursday to report the theft, he said, and Officer Russell Adams and Detective Richard Caton started investigating. They learned Brochu had been in the town office at the same time as the person who left the envelope.

Within a few minutes Adams found Brochu driving a 1990 Ford F-150 truck south past the Town Office on Route 4. He stopped him and questioned him, but Brochu denied taking the money, the chief said.

Detective Caton arrived, questioned Brochu and noticed the Otis Federal Credit Union envelope on the seat of Brochu’s truck, White said. When Brochu was asked if he had done business at the credit union, he said he had not and did not have an account there.

Caton found the missing money in the envelope along with the receipt from the bank with the victim’s name on it, White said.

Brochu was transported to Franklin County Detention Center in Farmington and was bailed on $100 cash. He is expected in court on April 3.

The money was returned to its owner, White said.

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