Why Was a Couple’s House Raided by the FBI after a Renovation?

Published on February 1, 2023
One couple in Ohio thought it might be a good idea to renovate their home. However, as they started, things seemed a bit strange or off. As they worked on remodeling their basement, they started peeling off the plywood that was on the ceiling. It all went normally for a while, but they ended up finding something waiting for them.

Who knew it could change their lives in such a profound way? What could they possibly have seen that could bring the FBI to their doorstep? You have to keep reading to learn of the strange situation!

Starting the Renovations

As the couple stumbled upon a strange item they found while renovating their home, they decided to research what might be happening inside because they came across some unexpected surprises. However, they had no clue that the FBI might soon be involved, as well.

Starting The Renovations

Starting The Renovations

Many Secrets

It’s not surprising that the homeowner was shocked by all the scribbles on his basement walls. However, he had no idea that the graffiti he found was actually the least bizarre thing he might find while renovating his house!

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Many Secrets

Many Secrets

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What’s Happening with the Ceiling

Afterward, the man noticed something stuck on the rafters by the ceiling. He got closer to see and was puzzled to find an object he couldn’t identify. It seemed like the item was put there to keep it hidden, and he had to use his full strength to bring it down.

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What's Happening With The Ceiling

What’s Happening With The Ceiling

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The Old Suitcase

The homeowner had chosen to document the renovation with a camera, which proved helpful. When he demolished the ceiling, he saw the old suitcase in the rafters. He wasn’t sure what to do and wondered if someone left it behind on purpose or by accident!

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The Old Suitcase

The Old Suitcase

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What’s Inside

The suitcase was a faded gray and green and seemed to be hidden perfectly. In fact, the homeowner wondered if it was put there on purpose. When he could finally reach it, he was shocked at how heavy it truly was!

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What's Inside

What’s Inside

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The Reveal

Things were getting strange here, so the homeowner decided to be cautious while opening the suitcase. He called his wife and told her so that she could come home. He didn’t want to be alone since he had no idea what might be inside it!

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The Reveal

The Reveal

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What It Was

This homeowner had a gut feeling that the suitcase was there on purpose. However, he had no idea why someone might do that. What secret could be in there, all tucked away in their ceiling? While he waited for his wife, he was tempted to take a peek.

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What It Was

What It Was

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Potential Overreaction

The suitcase was quite small for being so heavy, and his imagination ran while he waited for his wife. Finally, she arrived, and he explained what happened. Though it could be an overreaction, why did someone hide something so heavy in such a hard-to-reach spot?

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Potential Overreaction

Potential Overreaction

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The Anticipation

This man was now quite hyper at that point. It was like locating a mysterious present under the tree before Christmas. You know you shouldn’t find it yet, but then you’re consumed by the ideas of what’s inside it!

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The Anticipation

The Anticipation

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Unwrapping the Items

After all those imaginations, he was way off when they finally opened the box. They weren’t really sure what they saw, but then they noticed that each item was wrapped separately in wax paper. The couple had to unwrap each one to see what was happening!

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Unwrapping The Items

Unwrapping The Items

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Bag Full of Money

As the husband and wife unwrapped the items, they were baffled. The wax paper held piles of money. Immediately, they started asking questions. Who did that money belong to, and why did they leave it behind? What should they do!?

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Bag Full Of Money

Bag Full Of Money

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Completely Stunned

The homeowners were shocked to see all that money as they unwrapped the other wax parcels. Plus, the bill size increased. Clearly, the bills were quite old, so they wondered who owned the bag and how long all that money had been up in the rafters.

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Completely Stunned

Completely Stunned

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What to Do

The couple had no idea what to do. They had never expected to find a huge amount of money stashed in their home. In one interview, the man shared that he had been at a loss because nothing like that had ever happened before.

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What To Do

What To Do

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A Serious Turn

Though they had unwrapped many parcels, there were still others. They ended up finding huge stacks of $20 bills, but then they also found $50 bills and $100 bills. They were stunned because they had never seen so much money at one once before!

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A Serious Turn

A Serious Turn

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Tons of Cash

In one interview, the man told reporters that the second package had no twenties and only contained $50 bills. What was happening there? He believed there might be $5,000 just waiting; everything was out of control!

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Tons Of Cash

Tons Of Cash

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Earlier Decades

The couple decided to figure out what to do with their huge stack of cash. At first, they found humor in the situation, but they saw that some of the money was from the 1920s and 1930s. What exactly was happening in their home?!

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Earlier Decades

Earlier Decades

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More Items

Overall, the couple kept digging and found other items hidden in the suitcase, too. They realized that the money and things had been in there for a while. That suitcase had been in the house for many years and possibly decades!

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More Items

More Items

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Half a Century

Finally, they found an old newspaper, which helped them date everything to figure out what was happening. The paper was dated March 25, 1951. They couldn’t believe how that suitcase was tucked away in the house for half a century, and no one noticed!

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Half A Century

Half A Century

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Apprehensive

The Cleveland Plain Dealer was the newspaper’s name, and the couple was mesmerized by the information. However, they still wondered if they could have stumbled onto something sinister. How much money was in the suitcase, and what might it be worth now? Why had it been hidden?!

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Apprehensive

Apprehensive

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Request for Help

There were even “star bills” inside, which were never put in circulation. The couple realized they had to get help to uncover the truth. Therefore, they called a lawyer to figure out what the money was now worth, and it came out to be $23,000!

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Request For Help

Request For Help

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Here We Go

The couple decided that they had had enough excitement and wanted to go back to their normal routine, starting up the renovation once again. However, they never expected to locate another suitcase hidden in their home!

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Here We Go

Here We Go

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An Identical Suitcase

They opened up that second suitcase and were in shock. That second suitcase also had stacks of cash inside. This was just too much for the pair to comprehend. However, what they discovered next truly blew their minds!

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An Identical Suitcase

An Identical Suitcase

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A Secret Door

While they continued their home renovation, the couple found a door they hadn’t seen before. Most people go their whole lives without locating a secret door in their homes, so they were nervous and cautious about finding out what was behind it.

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A Secret Door

A Secret Door

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Behind the Door

This poor couple never realized they might have to deal with the FBI for a simple home renovation. The realtor told the couple that the door was just for the water heater, but that wasn’t true. It was unclear whether the realtor purposely misled them, but they soon found the real reason for the door!

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Behind The Door

Behind The Door

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Locked Away

The door was actually secured with a bolt and locked with the master key. However, this couple realized that they must find out what was behind the strange door. Therefore, the man rushed to get a hammer, chipping away at the old lock.

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Locked Away

Locked Away

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Musty and Dark

That door was hiding something and had been locked for a while. They got it cracked open, seeing the mold and terrible conditions. Though they had lived there for a while, they hadn’t seen strange things before and worried about what had been in their house the whole time.

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Musty And Dark

Musty And Dark

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Finding Out

Some might say that this couple was reckless by snooping around on their own. They realized the chance of danger, but they were ultimately curious and had to know what they might find before anyone else got involved.

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Finding Out

Finding Out

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Soundproof Room

The water heater room was just a coverup. Whoever designed the trick room hoped to pass it off as normal to keep things hidden. As they opened the door, they saw soundproofing tarps on the ceiling, walls, and floors. They panicked, worried that criminal activities had gone on here.

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Soundproof Room

Soundproof Room

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The Second Door

They continued looking around the room, but they only found a second door. What might be in there? Carefully, they decided to open it, but they almost wished they hadn’t. It caused them to immediately contact the authorities.

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The Second Door

The Second Door

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The Mysterious Safe

They noticed a black Sentry safe in the corner and immediately wanted to know what it contained. Overall, they were creeped out about the whole thing. The man hoped it didn’t hold similar items, but there was only one way to know!

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The Mysterious Safe

The Mysterious Safe

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More Secrets to Uncover

This man knew that he probably wasn’t likely to find what he wanted in there. Though everything they’d uncovered was valuable, he wondered why this safe was here in the first place. Clearly, someone tried to hide and secure these items!

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More Secrets To Uncover

More Secrets To Uncover

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The Scary Note

As the homeowner opened the safe, he saw a note reading “save yourself.” Though they were terrified, they put away those fears to check the other things. Now, they were thinking they should have called someone and let them sort it all out.

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The Scary Note

The Scary Note

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The Author

The wording alone could have scared anyone, but it was also written ominously. It looked rushed, and the message was written in black ink, making things feel more sinister by the second. What was happening, and who had written it?!

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The Author

The Author

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Keep Going

The man believed that there was more to discover here. He and his wife chose to keep searching their property and continued finding more confusing and strange items. Overall, they knew it was time to call in the police.

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Keep Going

Keep Going

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VHS Tapes

Under the note were dozens of videotapes. Another hand-written message read, “do not.” The man wondered whether the truth was hidden on the tapes. In fact, he took one out to inspect it closer and was shocked by what he saw.

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VHS Tapes

VHS Tapes

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One Without a Label

They realized that these tapes were newer than the other items hidden in the house and called the authorities. Five out of six tapes were found with strange labels, and they couldn’t decipher them. However, one tape didn’t have a label, and they were creeped out!

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One Without A Label

One Without A Label

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So Curious

The man couldn’t wait to see what was found on those hidden tapes. Eventually, he found a machine that could work them. Though he was excited at first, it quickly turned to horror. Just a few seconds in, he called the authorities and demanded they get to his house immediately!

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So Curious

So Curious

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All Very Mysterious

Once they told the authorities, the FBI arrived to get the tapes. The public had no clue, so now the FBI had to get to work. The couple realized that they might not learn the whole story, with the media getting hold of the idea and providing gruesome theories.

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All Very Mysterious

All Very Mysterious

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Questions Arose

The public was finally made aware of this bizarre situation, and it was natural for them to have questions. What had happened in that house? Who lived there previously and hid all of the strange items?!

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Questions Arose

Questions Arose

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Lucky

In that situation, anything could have happened. Therefore, the couple who found the strange items were lucky that nothing bad happened to them. They were right to contact the authorities and let them take care of the situation. Now, they have a story to tell their friends and family.

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Lucky

Lucky

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