A gas station attendant in Tennessee was allegedly caught on surveillance camera stealing a customer’s $1 million lottery ticket after telling the winner that it was a losing ticket.
According to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, the unidentified winner purchased two $20 diamond and gold scratch cards from 23-year-old employee Meet Patel at a Shell gas station in Murfreesboro, then returned the tickets to Patel for inspection.
Patel returned one of the winning tickets along with the $40 prize, but ignored the fact that the other ticket had won $1 million. Lt. Steve Craig told News Channel 5.
“He threw it on top of the trash can,” Craig said of Patel, adding that after the winner left, he “took the trash outside, and if you follow him on camera, you can see him grab the ticket and put it in his pocket.”
Patel then “went to the Tennessee Lottery Commission and claimed the ticket was his,” Craig said.
“Through normal questioning, there were enough red flags to investigate,” the officer said, adding that CCTV footage was easily found.
It made it “pretty obvious” what Patel had done, Craig told the outlet, laughing.
“That’s pretty clear. It’s enough to put in front of 12 jurors and make sure they all come to the same conclusion.”
The rightful winner, a father from Antioch, Tennessee, will finally win the $1 million jackpot.
Patel is being held in the Rutherford County Jail on $100,000 bail on suspicion of bounty theft, a class A felony.
