Lottery ticket wins $1 million; Tennessee police say clerk tried to steal it

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee — A man who won $1 million in the Tennessee lottery almost never saw his winnings.

That’s because a clerk at the store where he bought the ticket attempted to steal it without the the purchaser ever knowing he actually won, authorities say. Now Meet Patel, 23, is being held in jail on a $100,000 bond in Rutherford County on a charge of theft, CNN reports.

The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office tells WSMV Channel 4 the victim purchased two $20 Diamond and Gold lottery tickets at a Shell gas station where Patel worked. The victim, whose identity has not been released, only scratched off the front bar codes on the tickets then asked Patel to check they were winners, WTVF Channel 5 reports.

Patel is accused of giving the man the $40 winner, but then tossing the $1 million winner in the trash. Authorities say store video shows Patel later remove the ticket from the trash and put it in his pocket.

“Mr. Patel is then seen later in the video celebrating in the store after scratching off the front of the ticket and learning it was a $1 million winner,” Det. Dennis Ward said, according to CNN.

Reports say Patel tried to claim the prize at the lottery headquarters in Nashville, but lottery officials immediately became suspicious. Ward said a normal line of questioning set off “red flags.” Lottery officials held onto the ticket and told Patel to “get his affairs in order.” Patel was later arrested and charged.

“The feel-good side of this story is the (the father) never knew he was the winner until we made contact with him,” Detective Lt. Steve Craig tells WSMV. “That is absolutely life-changing money.”