Suspended Osceola Sheriff Marcos Lopez allegedly linked to other illegal casinos – court documents
Suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez is at the center of explosive allegations involving racketeering, money laundering, and illegal gambling tied to five Florida casinos, according to newly unsealed court records.
In a 10-page charging document filed in Lake County Circuit Court and seen by ReadWrite, prosecutors claim Lopez was part of an operation that ran multiple illegal gambling houses and lotteries throughout Central Florida, while he was still serving as sheriff.
“Beginning on or about August 25, 2019, and continuing through on or about August 27, 2024… Marcos R. Lopez… while employed by or associated with an enterprise… did conduct or participate, directly or indirectly, in such enterprise, through a continuous pattern of racketeering activity,” the court document states.
Other casinos reportedly linked to suspended Osceola sheriff Marcos Lopez
Florida sheriff Marcos Lopez was arrested after casino raids exposed illegal gambling operation. Credit: Homeland Security Tampa
Among 26 predicate incidents listed, prosecutors allege Lopez and his associates operated the Fusion Social Club, later doing business as Eclipse Social Club in Kissimmee, which was involved in illegal gambling. They say Lopez personally collected more than $600,000 in illicit payments.
“Marcos R. Lopez… did own, operate, manage, and/or control an establishment… which set up, promoted, or conducted a lottery for money or for something of value in violation of Florida Statute 849.09,” the document reads.
Other venues named in the investigation include Dreamer’s Arcade in Clermont, Jungle Hut in Leesburg, Player’s Club Café, and Hot Seats Arcade in Lake County. During raids at these locations, authorities reportedly seized nearly 100 illegal slot machines and tens of thousands of dollars in cash.
The documents also accuse Lopez of repeatedly using two-way communication devices to “facilitate or further the commission of a felony offense” between 2019 and 2024.
One of the most serious accusations is that Lopez accepted unlawful compensation. According to prosecutors: “Marcos R. Lopez did, while being a public servant—to wit, the Sheriff of Osceola County—knowingly and intentionally request, solicit, accept, or agree to accept, any pecuniary or other benefit not authorized by law… in violation of Florida Statute 838.016(1).”
The investigation, which spanned several years and covered Lake, Orange, and Osceola counties, also names several alleged co-conspirators: Sharon Fedrick, Sheldon Wetherholt, Carol Cote, and Lopez’s estranged wife, Robin Severance Lopez.
Lopez now faces two major charges including Count 1 for racketeering, a first-degree felony, and Count 2 for conspiracy to commit racketeering. The Office of Statewide Prosecution says these offenses crossed multiple judicial circuits as part of “an organized criminal conspiracy affecting two or more judicial circuits of the State of Florida.”
Lopez, who’s been suspended from office while the case unfolds, was released on a $1 million bond. So far, he hasn’t made any public comment on the charges.
Featured image: Lake County Florida Sheriff’s Office
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