Store clerk Meer Patel, 23. (Rutherford County Sheriff's Office)
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - A Tennessee store clerk has been accused of stealing a $1 million winning lottery ticket from its rightful owner and trying to cash in on the prize.
The Rutherford County Sheriff's Office said Meer Patel, 23, of Murfreesboro has been arrested and charged with theft over $250,000.
Investigators said the rightful owner was a father from Antioch, who did not want to be publicly identified.
The father bought two winning tickets on July 13 at a Shell gas station, according to investigators.
Authorities said the father gave the two winning lottery tickets to Patel, who then gave him cash for the lesser-valued winning ticket, throwing the $1 million winning ticket in the trash.
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Patel then allegedly tried to claim the $1 million ticket at the Tennessee Lottery, but the employees were suspicious.
Detectives said store surveillance video showed Patel taking out the trash, removing the lottery ticket and putting 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," authorities said in a news release.
Through the same video, investigators were able to identify the father who actually owned the tickets. When they told the father about the alleged crime, he seemed skeptical at first.
"The feel good side of this story is the (the father) never knew he was the winner until we made contact with him," a detective said. "That is absolutely life-changing money."
"He was very thankful," the detective added.
This story was reported from Los Angeles.
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