A Tennessee store clerk has been arrested on a felony charge after stealing a $1 million dollar winning lottery ticket from a customer.

 

A customer came into a Murfreesboro, Tennessee Shell station where he bought two $20 Diamond Gold scratch off tickets.

The customer scratched off the front bar code then ask the cashier, 23 year old Meet Patel, to scan the tickets to see if he won anything off the tickets.

Patel told the customer that only one ticket was a $40 winner handing the customer back that ticket, and tossing the other ticket into the trash.

Rutherford County Sheriff's Office reports that the other ticket that Patel put in the trash was in fact a $1 Million dollar winning ticket, and once the customer left the store Patel was caught on security footage retrieving the ticket from the trash.

Patel went to the lottery commission to claim the cash, but wasn't aware that all big lottery winners are vetted resulting in them holding his lottery ticket due to some red flags in his story.

Part of the lottery's vetting process includes checking security video of the tickets purchased video which clearly showed Patel stealing the lottery ticket.

Theft on a $1 million dollar ticket is a Class A felony where Patel was booked into the Rutherford County Jail.

The actual $1 Million dollar winner of the Diamond Gold scratch off ticket was located, but has asked to remain anonymous at this time.