Overview
- A $2,600 Pick 4 ticket bought in Tampa was mailed to a relative to help with funeral costs and never arrived, prompting the owner to report it missing.
- The Florida Lottery Division of Security and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General traced the redeemed ticket to a Miami district office and identified letter carrier Lakaysha Lockhart as the redeemer.
- Lockhart admitted taking the ticket and was taken into custody on July 23; she now faces multiple felony counts including grand theft, dealing in stolen property, filing a false claim, unlawful use of a two-way communications device, and mail theft.
- Florida Lottery officials urged players to sign winning tickets and avoid mailing them when possible, and they credited redemption and transaction records as the key evidence that solved the case.
- Published reports disagree on the exact redemption date but investigators say the tracing and the carrier’s admission are clear, and prosecutors are preparing separate filings that could seek restitution for the ticket owner.