I won $1 million on a lotto scratch-off but didn’t get a penny after clerk threw it in trash – now he’s facing jail time

A LUCKY lottery player almost missed out on their prize when a gas station employee allegedly tried to keep the golden ticket for himself.

The clerk stole the winning lottery ticket from the customer by hiding it in the trash after he discovered that it was worth $1 million, police said.

The father, who does not want to be publicly identified, bought two winning tickets on July 13 at a Shell gas station in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, according to Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office Detective Dennis Ward.

The customer bought two $20 Diamond and Gold lottery tickets from the clerk, 23-year-old Meer Patel, Ward said.

He scratched off the two tickets and asked Patel to check if he won by scanning the bar codes to save time.

While one ticket won $40, the other was a million-dollar winner.

Cops said Patel handed the customer his $40 prize but kept the $1 million ticket for himself by pretending to toss it.

"He threw it on top of the trash. As the gentleman left, he took the trash out," Lieutenant Detective Steve Craig told local Scripps affiliate WTVF after viewing footage from the store.

"On camera, you can see him grab the ticket and put it in his pocket."

"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,” Ward said.

The detective said that employees at the Tennessee Lottery were suspicious when Patel allegedly tried to claim his 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.

Lottery officials typically vet big winners before they can claim their money - and the checks include reviewing security video of the purchase.

When officials checked the video, they saw Patel allegedly committing theft of the $1 million ticket, which is a Class A felony.

In Tennessee, Class A felonies carry possible sentences up to 60 years in prison and fines up to $50,000.

Patel has been charged with theft over $250,000 and booked into the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center, where he's held on a $100,000 bond.

Top lottery winners in the US

Millions dream of winning the lottery and finding fame and fortune. These are the biggest winners in US lottery history.

• Edwin Castro - $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 8, 2022, in California.
• Theodorus Struyck - $1.765 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, in California.
• Unknown winner - $1.602 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, in Florida.
• Marvin and Mae Acosta from Los Angeles, California, John and Lisa Robinson from Munford, Tennessee, and Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt from Melbourne Beach, Florida - $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016.
• Unknown winner - $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, from South Carolina.
• Unknown winner - he sued the mother of his child to keep his identity hidden - $1.348 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, from Maine.
• Unknown winner - $1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, from Illinois.
• Cheng and Duanpen Saephan, and Laiza Liem Chao - $1.326 billion, Powerball, April 7, 2024, from Oregon.
• Yanira Alvarez - $1.08 billion Powerball, July 19, 2023 in California.
• Wolverine FLL Lottery Club - $1.05 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021, from Michigan.
• Unknown winner - $842.4 million Powerball, Jan. 1, 2024, from Michigan.

HAPPY ENDING

Investigators then reviewed the gas station's security footage to identify the true winner.

Police told the Antioch dad that he won the million-dollar prize less than 24 hours later.

The anonymous winner was reportedly skeptical about the winnings until cops encouraged him to claim his prize at the Tennessee Lottery.

“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.”

Lottery players could get their own winning prize by checking their numbers as a $1 million Mega Millions ticket has yet to be claimed in Maryland.

Meanwhile, an unclaimed Powerball ticket worth $50,000 is set to expire in days after it was bought at a gas station.