A Nashville man's lottery shortcut may cost him far more than he won

A Nashville man's scheme to get rich quickly may lead to a large legal bill. William Alan Passarelli, 33, was arrested in Ashland City, Tennessee, on March 24 on multiple charges, according to an arrest affidavit filed by the Ashland City Police Department in Cheatham County General Sessions Court.

How it unraveled

Officers were contacted on March 23 by the owner of The Tobacco Patch on N. Main St., Ashland City, Tennessee. The owner had received a call from the Tennessee Lottery Corporation stating he owed them $30,000.

The owner reviewed his security footage. What he found was damning. His employee, Passarelli, who had been hired just two weeks prior, had taken four booklets of scratch-off lottery tickets and activated them on March 21. The tickets were worth at least $4,484.

When the owner confronted Passarelli, he denied having the tickets. Asked to return to the store and hand over his keys on March 23, Passarelli didn't show.

Security measures

Tennessee has security measures in place for these types of scenarios. It is watching.

The Tennessee Education Lottery's Security and Sales divisions monitor retailer operations and prize claims, looking for any sign of inappropriate activity. When something doesn't add up, like tickets activated without corresponding sales, the system flags it. That's likely what triggered the call to The Tobacco Patch owner.

TEL Security is responsible for investigating all complaints at lottery retailers. Findings are reported to the TEL Legal Department or the appropriate law enforcement agency.

In short, the Tennessee Lottery has eyes on every ticket.

More charges emerge

During the investigation, officers discovered Passarelli was a registered sex offender with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. He had failed to notify the MNPD of his change in employment. His Tennessee state ID, which had not been updated since 2024, also lacked the required sex offender endorsement.

Caught at the door

On March 24, officers received a tip that Passarelli was staying at a residence on Brook Hollow Road in Ashland City. They arrived and spotted the same bicycle he had ridden to work at The Tobacco Patch. Passarelli refused to open the door.

While inside, he spoke by phone with the owner of The Tobacco Patch. Officers standing outside could hear him admit he had stolen the lottery tickets — and won $5,000 from them.

When Passarelli finally left the residence, he was arrested and charged with theft over $1,000 and two counts of failing to register as a sex offender.

His case was bound over to the grand jury on April 1. He is scheduled to appear in court again on July 29.