An Antioch man's stroke of luck nearly turned to misfortune when a gas station clerk tried to claim his $1 million lottery ticket. The unnamed winner bought two tickets at the Shell gas station on Greenland Drive in Murfreesboro, one of which was worth seven figures, as reported by WSMV. According to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, the clerk, Meer Patel, 23, paid out for the lesser ticket and stashed the more substantial prize to later claim as his own.
Patel's attempt to collect the winnings was thwarted when Tennessee Lottery officials grew suspicious and an investigation was launched. Store surveillance footage showed Patel discreetly moving the winning ticket from the trash into his pocket. He was also seen on camera celebrating after discovering the ticket's value. Despite his endeavors to quickly claim the prize, Patel's plan came to an abrupt halt and he has now been charged with theft over $250,000 and is being held on a $100,000 bond, according to information obtained by FOX 17.
Meanwhile, the rightful owner was unaware of his lottery windfall until he was contacted by Detective Lieutenant Steve Craig of the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office. "The feel good side of this story is the [father] never knew he was the winner until we made contact with him," Craig said. "That is absolutely life-changing money," as per FOX 17. With the help of Tennessee Lottery investigators Vic Donoho and Greg Heiman, as well the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, the lottery ticket was retrieved and returned to its rightful owner.
The father, who chose to remain anonymous, was skeptical at first about the astonishing news, but after being convinced by Detective Ward, he went on to claim his prize. “He was very thankful,” Craig relayed the man's sentiments following the recovery of the ticket. Patel, in contrast, is now awaiting his hearing scheduled for July 30, according to WKRN.
