TN store clerk in jail after trying to keep customer's $1 million lottery ticket

A Tennessee convenience store clerk is in jail after being caught trying to pocket a customer's million-dollar winning lottery ticket for himself.

The real lottery winner, who remains unidentified, purchased two $20 scratch-off tickets at a Shell gas station in Murfreesboro and gave them to store clerk Meer Patel to check their bar codes. Patel, 23, paid the man $40 for one of the winning tickets but put the other $1 million winning ticket in the trash, telling him it lost. 

Patel was later captured on the store's closed circuit TV digging the million-dollar ticket out of the trash. Detectives observed him scratch the front off, which confirmed its monetary value.

"Store video obtained by investigators of the Tennessee Lottery shows the clerk allegedly taking out the trash, removing the winning ticket and placing it in his pocket," the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office said. 

Lottery Officials vet all big winners and in this case the process included checking security footage of the tickets being purchased. Detective Lt. Steve Craig said the CCTV made it clear Patel had stolen the ticket.

"It's pretty obvious. Good enough to put in front of 12 jurors and they'll reach the same conclusion," said Craig. 

The former clerk is facing charges related to theft over $250,000. 

The ticket was soon returned to its rightful owner and detectives said the lucky winner, who hadn't realized the clerk tried to cheat him, was very thankful.

“The feel-good side of this story is [the customer] never knew he was the winner until we made contact with him,” Detective Craig said. 

Patel is in police custody at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center on a $100,000 bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 30.