Overview
- The case began after a mailed winning Pick 4 ticket did not reach its destination and a player reported it missing, a lapse that triggered a formal probe by the Florida Lottery Division of Security.
- Lottery records showed the ticket was redeemed at the Miami District Office on June 19, which led investigators to identify the person who cashed the prize.
- USPS letter carrier Lekaysha Lockhart was arrested on July 23 and, according to investigators, admitted to stealing the ticket and redeeming it for herself.
- Lockhart faces multiple felony counts including grand theft, dealing in stolen property, filing a false claim for payment, unlawful use of a two-way communications device, and mail theft, with prosecutors preparing separate cases because alleged acts occurred in more than one judicial circuit.
- Officials say the joint Florida Lottery and USPS OIG investigation used transaction and redemption records to trace the theft and that the outcome is meant to reassure players while prosecution and potential prize recovery move forward.