Osceola County Sheriff arrested
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has declared “a solemn day for Florida” following the arrest of Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez for alleged links to a $21.6m illegal gambling operation.
gambling operation spanning Central Florida
Uthmeier’s office released a charging document Thursday, revealing Lopez’s suspension from office and charges of racketeering for involvement in the “massive” illicit gambling operation spanning Central Florida.
Participants in the Lopez probe, Tampa’s US Homeland Security Investigations office, took to X with video of the ex-Sheriff’s arrest:
The Department of Justice charging document states the focal point of the case was money-laundering. The DOJ alleges Lopez and his co-conspirators ran the operation via an illegal gambling house in Kissimmee named as the Fusion Social Club.
Big name takes a fall
According to the release from Uthmeier’s office, Fusion Social Club allegedly ran illicit lotteries while unlawfully possessing slot machines “as part of an operation enriching the sheriff while in office.”
While the Feds also accused Chicago-born Lopez of “using confidential law enforcement information to evade accountability,” Uthmeier’s office didn’t divulge details of how the alleged illegal Florida gambling operation worked.
The office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday issued an executive order suspending Lopez for two first-degree felonies falling under state racketeering statutes.
The DeSantis release named Central Region Chief for the Florida Highway Patrol, Christopher Blackmon, as the replacement for the suspended Osceola sheriff.
In his statement, the Florida Attorney General said that: “Public servants should never exploit the public’s trust for personal gain.”
Uthmeier also stated that state prosecutors “will hold Sheriff Lopez, his associates, and all lawbreakers accountable.”
Lopez violated the trust and integrity expected of him”
The AG’s release also cited Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass, who stated “Lopez violated the trust and integrity expected of him as the duly elected sheriff of Osceola County.”
Courting controversy
According to the Tampa Bay Times, the fall of Lopez was: “a disgraceful denouement” for a sheriff who courted controversy since his appointment to the Osceola department in 2020.
Lopez’s time at the helm is laden with accusations of multiple personal indiscretions. These include receiving a nude photo of a co-worker, posting an image of a 13-year-old girl’s corpse, and “professional missteps including his deputies’ aggressive actions in pursuing shoplifters at a Target and killing their driver.”
Lopez is jailed in Lake County without bond and will be arraigned June 30 in the 5th Judicial Circuit.
