A man in Tennessee learned he had won $1 million when detectives called him to tell him someone had stolen his winning ticket.
The lottery winner, who chose not to reveal his identity, bought two tickets at a Shell gas station in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
One ticket won $40 and the other won $1 million.
According to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, a gas station employee stole the ticket and attempted to cash in the prize.
Security cameras showed Meet Patel, the employee, scanning the tickets.
The customer had only scratched off the front barcode and asked Patel to verify whether the tickets were winning.
The employee trap
Patel, upon noticing the $1 million winning ticket, threw it in the trash.
The video then shows Patel taking out the trash, removing the winning ticket and putting it in his pocket.
“Patel is later seen celebrating in the store after scratching off the front of the ticket and discovering he was a $1 million winner,” Detective Dennis Ward said.
Attempted collection and arrest
To claim any prize of $200,000 or more, players must appear at Tennessee Lottery headquarters in Nashville.
Patel, 23, tried to claim the prize, but lottery employees were suspicious.
“Through their normal line of questioning, there were enough red flags for them to say, ‘You need to get your affairs in order and come back to us. We’re going to hold the ticket,’” said Detective Steve Craig.
Legal consequences
Patel is being held on a charge of theft over $250,000 at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center, with bail set at $100,000 and a hearing scheduled for July 30.
“It’s pretty obvious. It’s enough for me to put it in front of 12 juries and make sure they all come to the same conclusion,” Craig added.
Happy ending for the real winner
The sheriff’s office reviewed the video to identify the man who purchased the ticket.
Less than a day later, Ward contacted the man, who is a father, and informed him he was the winner, convincing him to claim his prize.
“The silver lining to this story is that the (father) never knew he was the winner until we contacted him,” Craig said. “It’s life-changing money.”
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