Ontario Provincial Police are looking for the rightful owner of a $12.5-million lottery ticket after a theft that occurred in December 2003.

Following what police say was a lengthy investigation, police announced Wednesday that they believe a father and son who worked at a Burlington convenience store were actively stealing tickets.

Police believe the men, a manager and employee at Variety Plus, used a stolen ticket to win a Super 7 held on Dec. 26, 2003. They then passed the ticket to a female family member in order to distance the win from their workplace.

Oakville resident Kathleen Chung, 29, redeemed the ticket at the Ontario Lottery Corporation on Feb. 5, 2004 and was awarded the prize later that year.

Police have charged Kathleen Chung, as well as Thornhill residents Jun-Chul Chung, 60, and Kenneth Chung, 28, with fraud over $5,000, possession of the proceeds of crime over $5,000 and money laundering.

Kenneth and Jun-Chul Chung are also charged with three counts each of theft under $5,000 and two counts of possession under $5,000.

All three, who police say were living a "lavish lifestyle," appeared in a Milton court on Wednesday. They were granted bail and ordered to return to court on Oct. 27.

Many of their assets have been seized and their bank accounts have been frozen.

OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis says he's optimistic the force will be able to find the fraud's victim.

Police have already compiled a customer profile that indicates the true winner as someone who may buy tickets for a group of people and who validates tickets in St. Catharines on certain days and times.

The person is believed to live in one city and work in another.

Police say the person they are seeking bought a Super 7 ticket at a store called That's Entertainment in September 2003. The ticket was later validated at Variety Plus in Burlington, where it won a free play for Dec. 26.

The free play ticket is believed to be the one that was stolen.

The winning numbers were 6, 8, 14, 25, 36, 41 and 42.

Police say the investigation resulted from a larger review of insider lottery wins between 1999 and 2006. The far-reaching probe was launched after the Ontario ombudsman released a report on the prevalence of fraudulent lottery wins in March 2007.