A USPS mail carrier in Florida was arrested for stealing a $2,600 winning lottery ticket from the mail and cashing it. The owner mailed it to help with funeral costs.
A United States Postal Service mail carrier in Florida faces multiple felony charges after investigators said she stole a winning lottery ticket from the mail and cashed it herself.
The ticket was a Pick 4 winner worth $2,600, purchased at a 7-Eleven in Tampa. The owner told authorities they had mailed it to a relative in Fort Lauderdale to help cover funeral costs, according to Gulf Coast News Now.
Investigators from the Florida Lottery Division of Security and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General traced the redemption to the Miami District Office on June 19. The person who cashed it was identified as 28-year-old Lakaysha Lockhart, a letter carrier assigned to the Oakland Park post office.
Lockhart admitted to taking the ticket from the mail and claiming the prize herself, the investigators said. She was taken into custody on July 23 after the joint investigation concluded.
The charges include grand theft, dealing in stolen property, filing a false claim for payment, unlawful use of a two-way communication device, and mail theft.
“The Florida Lottery urges players to sign the back of any winning tickets immediately and to weigh the risks carefully before sending them through the mail,” the agency said in a statement.
The case underscores a persistent vulnerability in mailed financial instruments. While unrelated to Apple (AAPL) or other publicly traded companies, it highlights the integrity risks that the Postal Service faces when valuable items move through the mail system.
No court date or information on legal representation for Lockhart was immediately available.
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