USPS worker arrested after allegedly stealing winning lottery ticket from the mail and cashing it in

A 28-year-old U.S. Postal Service worker from Hollywood, Florida, has been arrested after Florida Lottery officials allege she stole a winning lottery ticket worth $2,600 from the mail and cashed it in at a South Florida lottery office. Lakaysha Lockhart was taken into custody on July 23, following an investigation by Florida Lottery special agents and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. Court records say she faces charges including grand theft, dealing in stolen property, making a false payment claim, illegal use of a two-way communication device, and mail theft. Authorities allege a woman in Tampa mailed the ticket to a relative in Fort Lauderdale after scanning it. Investigators later found Lockhart redeemed it on June 19 at the Florida Lottery Miami District Office. She posted bail and has not entered a plea; prosecutors plan charges in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.