An Indian-origin 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, media reports said.
The accused was identified as Meer Patel, 23.
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office told Fox 13 News 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 news channel reported.
According to reports, investigators said the rightful owner of the ticket bought them on July 13 at a Shell gas station.
Authorities told Fox13News 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.
Patel later allegedly tried to claim the ticket at the Tennessee Lottery which made the employees suspicious about his activity.
“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 as quoted by Fox 13.
Investigators were able to identify the actual buyer of the ticket from the same video which showed Patel picking up the lottery ticket from the trash and putting it in his pocket.
