New details have emerged about suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos R. Lopez’s role in an illegal gambling network. A 255-page affidavit alleges Lopez helped build, shield, and profit from an illicit gambling enterprise that collected over $21 million across Central Florida.
Authorities arrested Lopez in June on two first-degree felonies: racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering. He faces accusations of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal cash.
Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended him and appointed interim Sheriff Christopher Blackmon while the case is ongoing. Lopez has pleaded not guilty and has been released on $1 million bond.
Several co-defendants, including Ying “Kate” Zhang, Krishna Deokaran, Sharon Fedrick, Sheldon Wetherholt, Carol Cote, and Lopez’s estranged wife Robin Severance Lopez, are also charged in the case.
