Marcos Lopez: Suspended sheriff requests to sever case from 1 of 4 co-defendants

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. - Suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez is requesting to sever his case from one of his four co-defendants, according to new court documents. 

Push to sever case from co-defendant

Latest Updates:

On Wednesday, Lopez filed a motion to sever his case from one of his four co-defendants: Sharon Fedrick. 

Lopez and Fedrick face the same racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering charges.

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According to the motion pulled from Lake County court documents, the separation is "necessary and appropriate to promote a fair determination of guilt or innocence of the defendant."

Lopez has not currently filed to sever his case from the other co-defendants, including his estranged wife. All the co-defendants also face the same charges.

What's next:

Both Lopez and Frederick are currently scheduled to begin trial on Nov. 10.

Push to move trial from Lake County to Osceola County

Local perspective:

On Tuesday, Lopez also requested his criminal trial be moved from Lake County to Osceola County. 

During a pre-trial conference via Zoom on Tuesday, Lopez's attorney said she had filed a motion for the change in venue. A judge will hear the defense’s argument on the change of venue motion on Oct. 14. 

If the change is granted, trial proceedings would move from Lake County, where they have been held since Lopez and his co-defendants were indicted in June. 

They are accused of operating an illegal gambling enterprise for years that allegedly generated more than $21 million. Lopez, who has pleaded not guilty, was arrested in June and later released on bond. Several others, including his estranged wife, also face racketeering charges.

A trial date has been set for the week before Thanksgiving, and a pre-trial conference for Lopez and his co-defendants has been set for Nov. 6.

Who's who in the investigation?

Dig deeper:

Here's what we know about the seven people involved in the investigation. 

• Marcos Lopez: Suspended Osceola County sheriff. He's accused of being a "silent partner" of Eclipse Social Club and using his influence to shield the illegal business from law enforcement overnight.
• Robin Lopez: The estranged wife of Marcos Lopez. She's facing charges of conspiracy to commit racketeering and conspiracy to use or invest proceeds from racketeering.
• Krishna DeoKaran ("Kris"): Described as the leader of the illegal operation, overseeing financial and logistical framework.
• Ying Zhang ("Kate"): Described as an investor and co-business owner, helping fund the business, and partnering with DeoKaran to open new gambling locations.
• Carol Cote: Acted as bookkeeper, maintained financial records and helped manage funds.
• Sharon Fredrick: Served as the business's manager and "played a critical role in laundering proceeds."
• Sheldon Wetherholt: Helped facilitate property leases and utilities for the alleged illegal operations.

Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez arrested 

The backstory:

Lopez was arrested in June on charges of racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering over his alleged involvement in the major years-long illegal gambling operation. He was booked into the Lake County Jail.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Lopez from his role, and Florida Highway Patrol's (FHP) Christopher A. Blackmon was immediately appointed to fill Lopez's position.

Lopez had served as sheriff since 2021 and became the first Hispanic sheriff in the county and the state.