Suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez given $1M bond in illegal gambling, racketeering case
Marcos Lopez arrest: Latest updates on the investigation
Suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez has pleaded not guilty to charges of racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering. Lopez attended a bond hearing on Friday morning. A judge ordered he be held on a $1 million bond -- $500,000 for each charge. If he posts bond, he will have to be fitted with a GPS monitor, turn in his passport, and surrender any firearms. Lopez and others are accused of running an illegal gambling operation. A state prosecutor alleged at the hearing that Lopez received $600,ooo to $700,000 from the operation over the years. The entire enterprise brought in more than $21 million, according to the complaint.
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. - Suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez formally pleaded not guilty to federal charges of racketeering and conspiracy on Friday morning, allegedly connected to an illegal gambling operation.
Lopez made his first court appearance in front of a judge on Friday to discuss the possibility of bond – 24 hours after his arrest. Lake County Judge Emily Curington granted Lopez bond, though it was set at $1 million ($500,000 for each charge).
The prosecution asked that bond be set at $1.2 million, $600,000 for each charge. An attorney representing Lopez had requested the bond be set at $50,000 – $25,000 for each charge.
In arguing for the high bond, prosecutors unveiled new details into the investigation and of Lopez's alleged involvement.
Prosecutor: Lopez earned hundreds of thousands of dollars from illegal gambling business
New details:
Marcos Lopez makes first appearance in court
A Florida judge set a $1 million bond for Marcos Lopez, the suspended sheriff of Osceola County, following his arrest on felony racketeering charges Friday morning.
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.
Lopez attended the hearing virtually, wearing an orange inmate jumpsuit from the Lake County Jail. He did talk during his hearing. He verified his name and was sworn in by the judge. He also asked about the bond process and how to start it.
If he posts bond, the judge also ordered:
- Lopez wear a GPS monitor
- Surrender his passport within 72 hours
- Surrender any firearms within 72 hours
- Not return to the business address
- Not talk to the other alleged co-defendants
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.
Lopez was suspended as Osceola County Sheriff shortly after his arrest Thursday. Gov. DeSantis suspended him via executive order. Christopher Blackmon, who serves as troop chief with Florida Highway Patrol, was appointed interim Osceola County Sheriff.
What's next:
Will Marcos Lopez be able to post bond and be released from jail? As of Friday afternoon, he remained in custody at the Lake County Jail, according to online jail records.
His next scheduled court date is June 30.
Why was Marcos Lopez arrested?
The backstory:
Officials have alleged that Lopez was part of a "massive Central Florida gambling operation" for years that operated a business in Kissimmee.
Sheriff Marcos – and others – face charges of racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering. Their business allegedly generated more than $21.6 million in illicit proceeds.
Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez was arrested on Thursday morning on charges related to racketeering, according to officials. (Credit: Lake County Jail)
Following Lopez's election as Osceola County Sheriff in November 2020, investigators say he continued to advance the interests of the criminal organization and collected a portion of the illegal gambling proceeds for his involvement.
Who else has been arrested or is connected?
Carol Cote (left) and Sharon Fedrick (right)
Lopez is charged alongside four other people:
- Ying Zhang
- Sharon Fedrick
- Sheldon Wetherholt
- Carol Cote
All four face the same charges as the former sheriff: racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering.
Cote and Fedrick have both been arrested and both made their initial court appearance on Friday morning. Cote was granted a $100,000 ($50,000 for each charge). Fedrick was granted a $300,000 bond ($150,000 for each charge).
Cote has since bonded out.
FOX 35 is continuing to learn more details on the co-defendants. It's unclear if Zhang and Wetherholt have been arrested or not. The relationship between the four and the former Osceola County sheriff was also not immediately clear.
What is racketeering?
Dig deeper:
Racketeering is a coordinated scheme, often involving organized crime, where individuals engage in a pattern of illegal activities to make a profit.
The crime is characterized by a series of illegal acts carried out to generate ongoing revenue, such as extortion, fraud or bribery.
Marcos Lopez arrested: What is racketeering?
Attorney Whitney Boan explains racketeering and the significance of the charge following the arrest of now-suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez.
Meet Christopher Blackmon, new Osceola County sheriff
Christopher Blackmon, the Central Region Chief for the Florida Highway Patrol was appointed as the Osceola County Sheriff, according to DeSantis' office.
He is a 35-year law enforcement veteran and leads more than 850 sworn troopers and 95 civilian employees.
Blackmon also serves as the FHP Statewide Immigration Incident Commander for all 67 counties.
Blackmon earned his bachelor’s degree in homeland security from Vincennes University.
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The Source: This story was written based on information gathered from the Osceola County Sheriff's Office website and shared by the Federal Department of Justice (FDOJ), Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.