A United States Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier has been arrested after stealing a winning lottery ticket from the mail and cashing it in for herself.
The ticket owner reported that a $2,600 Pick 4 winner purchased at a 7-Eleven in Tampa never reached its intended recipient, reports Gulf Coast News Now.
Investigators from the Florida Lottery Division of Security and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General traced the ticket to a redemption at the Miami District Office on June 19th.
Authorities identified the redeemer as 28-year-old Lakaysha Lockhart, a letter carrier assigned to the Oakland Park post office.
Lockhart admitted to investigators that she took the ticket from the mail and claimed the prize herself.
She now faces multiple felony charges, including grand theft, dealing in stolen property, filing a false claim for payment, unlawful use of a two-way communication device and mail theft.
The original winner had intended to mail the lottery ticket to a relative in Fort Lauderdale “to financially assist with funeral costs.”
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.
Lockhart was taken into custody on July 23rd after the joint investigation concluded.
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