$1 million lottery ticket stolen and returned back to the winners' hands

It was very nearly a million-dollar lottery heist.

A customer bought a big winning ticket but walked away empty.

Detectives say the clerk tried to keep it for himself.

We are talking about a $20 scratch-off ticket worth $1 million dollars.

The customer walked to a Shell station in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, bought two tickets and asked the clerk to check them.

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Rutherford County Sheriff's Detectives said that a customer bought two $20 Diamond and Gold lottery tickets from the clerk, 23-year-old Meet Patel.

As some lottery players do to save time — the customer just scratched off the front bar code — and then asked Patel to check if they were winners.

If you scratch off the front bar code it will tell you if it's a winner or not regardless if you scratch off everything showing how much you won," said Lt. Detective Steve Craig.

He said both tickets won, but Patel only handed the man back the $40 winner.

He told him the other ticket was lost but in actuality, it was a $1 million winner.

"He threw it on top of the trash. As the gentleman left, he took the trash out on camera you can see him grab the ticket and put it in his pocket," said Craig.

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Not long after, Patel decided to try and claim the cash prize.

"He went to the lottery commission to claim the ticket as his own, but there were red flags and they held onto the ticket," Craig said.

What Patel likely didn't know is that lottery officials vet all big winners, and that includes checking security video of the tickets purchased video in evidence that Craig said clearly shows the ticket was stolen.

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

Theft on a $1 million ticket is a Class A felony. Patel is booked into the Rutherford County Jail. As for that winning ticket? The customer who bought it has been found.

He asked to remain anonymous, but he now finally will be getting that $1 million jackpot.

This story was originally published by Nick Beres at Scripps News Nashville.