First there is a market for locked iPhones on EBay. Few hundred bucks.
That being said, if you want to be a good guy the person you talked to at Verizon is an idiot. iPhones have the IMEI numbers engraved in them which Verizon could look up and find the owner (and also see if they have other lines listed for contact). Now, Verizon won't be able to give you their name or any info but what they should do if they aren't lazy is try and contact the person and give them your number so you two can get in touch.
That being said, if you want to be a good guy the person you talked to at Verizon is an idiot. iPhones have the IMEI numbers engraved in them which Verizon could look up and find the owner (and also see if they have other lines listed for contact). Now, Verizon won't be able to give you their name or any info but what they should do if they aren't lazy is try and contact the person and give them your number so you two can get in touch.