A joint investigation by the Florida Lottery Division of Security and the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG) resulted in the arrest of a United States Postal Service employee accused of stealing a winning Florida Lottery ticket from the mail and fraudulently claiming the prize.
The investigation began after a Florida Lottery player reported that a winning Pick 4 ticket she mailed through the United States Postal Service never reached its intended destination. A Florida Lottery Inspector determined the ticket had instead been redeemed at the Florida Lottery’s Miami District Office by Lakaysha Lockhart, who was later identified as a United States Postal Service letter carrier.
As the investigation progressed, Florida Lottery Special Agents and USPS OIG investigators conducted a joint operation that resulted in Lockhart’s arrest. Following her arrest, Lockhart admitted to stealing the winning Lottery ticket and redeeming it at the Florida Lottery’s Miami District Office.