Cashier who stole prize arrested
Includes video report
By Kate Northrop
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — A Tennessee Lottery retailer clerk has been arrested after tricking a local father and stealing his winning ticket worth $1 million.
A Tennessee man almost lost out on a $1 million prize he didn't even know about after a retailer clerk tricked him into thinking he hadn't won anything.
Meet Patel, 23, has been put behind bars after getting caught stealing a $1 million winning lottery ticket from a customer. According to the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office, Patel fooled the anonymous man into thinking the ticket was worthless.
The victim had stopped at a Shell gas station in Murfreesboro and bought two $20 "Diamond and Gold" scratch-off tickets. Rather than scratching off the entire play area, he normally scratches off the bar code area and hands his tickets to the store clerk to check them for prizes.
"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," Lt. Detective Steve Craig told News Channel 5 Nashville.
Both tickets were winners of very different amounts. Patel paid out one of the winning tickets, worth $40, but he told the player that the other ticket had won nothing.
"He threw it on top of the trash," Craig continued. "As the gentleman left, he took the trash out on camera. You can see him grab the ticket and put it in his pocket."
Patel later visited the Tennessee Lottery to try to claim the prize, but it did not go as planned.
"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 relayed.
What many lottery players may not realize is that the Lottery vets all winners of large prize amounts, including those of $1 million or more. That process involves checking store surveillance footage to ensure the ticket was bought by the actual winner presenting the ticket.
The security feed clearly showed Patel stealing the ticket.
"Store video obtained by Investigators Vic Donoho and Greg Heiman of the Tennessee Lottery showed the clerk allegedly taking out the trash, removing the winning ticket and placing it in his pocket," the Sheriff's Office said.
"It's pretty obvious," Craig remarked. "Good enough to put in front of 12 jurors, and they'll reach the same conclusion."
Patel was arrested and is currently being held at Rutherford County Adult Detention Center on a $100,000 bond. He faces charges of theft over $250,000, a Class A felony, which is an offense punishable by 15 to 60 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 30.
The story does end on a good note. Detectives were able to identify the victim, who was unaware that the clerk had even tried to trick him, and inform him of his winning ticket. He was very thankful for the investigators' work.
"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."
VIDEO: Watch the report
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Surprising one could be so cavalier with a $20 scratcher. Why not double check and scratch the complete ticket? His laziness could have cost him big time. He's extremely lucky they connected him to that ticket. The takeaway from this is when it comes to the lottery you cannot trust anyone.
Most if not all retailers in Michigan have scanners that you can scan tickets yourself to see if they are winners or not. Plus if you have an online account, you can check both "physical" instant and draw game tickets as well.
Sounds like he couldn't read. This could be another case of "dumb luck".
* Having a clerk check your tickets before you do is most unwise, unless both your arms are prosthetics. Just saying..
I've seen "Sorry not a winner" on the scanner more times than I care to count!
I suppose not all states are the same. In Texas when a winning ticket is scanned the scanner emits a chime. Plus most stores have a scanner that players can use.
One time when I was working the fuel station a regular customer came in and proceeded to buy $20 tickets. He would buy one, scratch the barcode and hand it to me to scan. He bought 3 or 4 that were losers and finally caught a $50 winner. I was genuinely happy for him.
"He bought 3 or 4 that were losers and finally caught a $50 winner."
Texez 2 Stepper?.. Soundz like he wuz still $50. in da hole..! according to YO Math..
Yeah, he was still in the hole. But that wasn't the point of the story.
However, he didn't care, he would keep playing til he won.
the title is confusing, it sounds like the clerk tricked his own father.
That's how I took it.
I see a lot of clerks that get arrested for trying to steal lottery prizes named Patel. I read a lot of people from India take on that surname as it means farmer, land owner or village chief. Ijs
Meet Patel. Well this man did meet Patel and almost lost out on a cool $1million because of it. 🫡
So if the lottery can find who the victim was in this case , why can't they find a person who has not claimed a big prize and not let it be forfeited
Rcb...that sounds more like ARPLATINUM during his normal chase sessions.
The crazier part is that he possibly won a big prize before and the thief behind the counter where he purchased the ticket(s) may have gotten away with it in the past.
You're right about that. I did a little rewording to make it clearer.
Yeah. He does chase. I haven't watched him lately. I watch Fixin to Scratch once or twice a week. I used to watch a lot of gun You Tubers also, but kinda got bored with that.
How low can someone go?
Many people have gone all the way down to the devil for money.
Meet Patel, meet the Warden.
Everybody knows very Well to stay away from All Patel for Lottery Advice first thing check or ask or say Hello Mr Patel 😝👍🇺🇸
If he says back Hello Run
Very true. I'm glad this guy got caught.
North Carolina has scanners as well as an app you down load on your phone to check and play games...I don't trust no one...Those people still more winnings than people think...
Louisiana also has a smartphone app that will scan the barcodes and tell if the ticket is a winner. I like being able to do that myself as well.
Because The Lottery wants to keep the money lol, just kidding.
Yep, all these million dollar unclaimed prizes and no investigation to see who
purchased? guess not!!
"Because the lottery wants to keep the money..."
Makes sense to me!
So in Maryland when ANY ticket that is scanned by the clerk - the screen on the players side SHOWS if its a winner or not. Says NO WINNER, or $10 winner, for example. Also in West Virgina it shows on the screen too, just in very small font and not an obvious location (lower right) so you kinda have 'know where to look'. And in NY, if I remember right, it used to play a winners 'chime' so you knew it was a winner.
I rarely play scratchoffs, but played a couple and was double checking them at the scanner. Had one come up saying 'verify with retailer' ???? Never seen that one before and of course got excited it was something big! I give it to them and the screen on my side came up no winner and I was like why did it have you verify ??? They had no idea why, but that was not funny MD Lottery