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Ex-Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez will not appear for future court hearings

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Published  June 24, 2025 6:00am EDT
Osceola County
FOX 35 Orlando
Suspended Osceola Sheriff Marcos Lopez still in jail

Suspended Osceola Sheriff Marcos Lopez still in jail

Suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopes remains in the Lake County jail following his arrest in an alleged illegal gambling scheme. He is being held on a million-dollar bond. The state also filed a motion to require Lopez and his team to disclose the source of the money used to post bail, if he does.

The Brief

    • Suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez waived his right to appear at most court hearings; his attorney will attend on his behalf.
    • Lopez was arrested June 5 on racketeering charges tied to an illegal gambling operation.
    • He remains jailed on $1 million bond, accused of receiving up to $700,000.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez will not appear in court for his alleged involvement in the illegal gambling scheme, online court records show.

According to a court document filed Monday, Lopez signed a waiver of appearance, meaning he is waiving his right to be present at all court dates – except those where his appearance is legally required.

His attorney will attend court proceedings on his behalf. 

Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez was arrested on June 5 on charges related to racketeering, according to officials. (Credit: Lake County Jail)

It is not immediately clear why Lopez chose this option. His next court hearing is set for June 30.

Read the document in its entirety below: 

What was Marcos Lopez arrested for?

The backstory:

Marcos Lopez was arrested on June 5 on charges of racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering, according to officials.

That same day, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order removing Lopez from his position as sheriff. He appointed Christopher Blackmon, Central Region Chief of the Florida Highway Patrol, to serve as interim sheriff of Osceola County.

Lopez is being held in the Lake County jail on a $1 million bond. As of Tuesday morning, he has not posted bond and remains in jail.

RELATED: Wife of suspended Osceola County sheriff to appear in court on Tuesday

Lopez – and three others – allegedly operated an illegal gambling business in Kissimmee where people could play the lottery and play slot machines. Lopez is also accused of attempting to hinder the investigation into the business, though specific details on that were not released.

In arguing for the high bond, a federal prosecutor alleged that Lopez had received between $600,000 and $700,000 in payments connected to the alleged illegal gambling operation over the years. The prosecutor said there are direct text messages and other messages that implicate Lopez.

The state also filed a motion to require Lopez and his team to disclose the source of the money used to post bail, if he does.

If released, Lopez must wear a GPS monitor, surrender his passport and firearms, and disclose the source of his bail funds.

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The Source: This story was written based on information gathered from Lake County court records. Additional details about Lopez's arrest and suspension were shared by the Federal Department of Justice (FDOJ), and the office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Osceola CountyCrime and Public SafetyLake CountyNews