A USPS worker has been arrested after she was accused of stealing a winning lottery ticket in Florida. The person who bought the winning ticket had reportedly sent it to a “family relative” in order to help with the cost of a funeral; however, the ticket never arrived.
On Friday, July 31, the Florida Lottery announced a joint investigation between the Florida Lottery Division of Security and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General into a postal worker who was accused of stealing the winning lottery ticket, People reports. The investigation comes after the arrest of Lakaysha Lockhart.
The investigation into Lockhart began after an unidentified ticket winner verified the $2,600 winnings from the ticket at a Publix grocery store; they then mailed the winning ticket to a relative in South Florida to help with funeral costs.
Unfortunately, the ticket never made it to its intended destination. Shortly afterward, the buyer reported to the Florida Lottery what had happened, which prompted an investigation into the matter.
A USPS worker is arrested
An affidavit obtained by People accuses Lakaysha Lockhart of stealing the ticket worth $2,600, and she was subsequently arrested in connection with the theft on July 23. Upon arrest, she reportedly confessed to stealing the ticket before later redeeming it herself at the Florida Lottery’s Miami District Office.
In a statement on the matter, Florida Lottery Secretary Reginald D. Dixon said: “Our players deserve confidence that every Lottery prize is protected through strong security measures and diligent oversight.” He also commended the security division for “outstanding investigative work,” and thanked the USPS Office of Inspector General for “their collaboration in protecting the integrity of Florida Lottery games and bringing this case to a successful resolution.”
On X, people took the chance to complain about the USPS, claiming they had had items with significant monetary value go missing in the mail. “I had a couple of gift cards mailed to me that I never got,” one person claimed. “I won’t mail anything valuable anymore unless I use priority.” Another said they did not use USPS anymore “because I have lost several items through it.”
In this case, it seems Lockhart will face consequences for the alleged theft. She has since been charged with mail theft, grand theft, dealing in stolen property, filing a false claim for payment, and two counts of unlawful use of a two-way communications device, as per People. The cases are expected to be prosecuted separately due to them occurring in multiple judicial circuits.
Published: Aug 3, 2026 01:20 pm