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Who is Marcos Lopez, Osceola County Sheriff arrested on racketeering charges?

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Published  June 5, 2025 1:17pm EDT
Florida
FOX 35 Orlando

Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez was arrested Thursday morning on charges of racketeering and conspiracy over allegations that he helped run and protect a gambling operation while the top law enforcement officer of the county.

That is according to the criminal complaint, an executive order from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and statements from the Florida Attorney General's Office.

Gov. DeSantis suspended Lopez as Osceola County Sheriff on Thursday and appointed FHP Chief Christopher Blackmon as acting sheriff.

Who is Marcos Lopez?

What we know:

Marcos Lopez was born in Chicago and raised in Central Florida, according to his online bio. He served for more than 20 years with the U.S. military.

He joined the Osceola County Sheriff's Office in 2003.

In 2020, he was elected as sheriff of the Osceola County Sheriff's Office, becoming the first Hispanic sheriff in Osceola County and Florida, his bio states.

He won his re-election bid as sheriff in 2024, defeating challenger Donnie Martinez.

"During military service, his primary occupational specialty was 9545, a linguist proficient in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. While serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, his unit provided security for the military and civilians in convoys. He was specifically tasked with assisting the South Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese military troops entering the Middle East and transitioning to Baghdad, Iraq," his bio states.

He has three children.

Why was he arrested? What are the charges?

What we know:

Sheriff Marcos Lopez is charged with one count of racketeering and one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering.

According to Gov. DeSantis' executive order suspending Lopez as sheriff, he and others owned or managed a social gambling club – Fusion Social Club, A.K.A. Eclipse Social Club – in Kissimmee that conducted a lottery and had a slot machine.

The order states that this operation started in at least 2019 and was in operation until at least 2024.

Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a statement that Lopez and others were involved in a "massive Central Florida gambling operation."

"Initially engaging the operation for campaign contributions and personal payments, Sheriff Lopez played a multifaceted role in expanding and protecting this illegal enterprise, using his office to shield the enterprise from law enforcement," Uthmeier alleged in a statement.

Sheriff Lopez has not yet commented on the allegations. FOX 35 is attempting to reach representatives for him.

Multiple investigations as sheriff

Sheriff Lopez's office has been involved in a few investigations concerning controversial or questioned cases and law enforcement investigations.

Lopez was fined, reprimanded, and added to the state's Brady List after he mistakenly posted a photo of Madeline Soto's deceased body to his personal Instagram, as part of a photo collage from a community event. The 13-year-old Florida was reported missing in February 2024. Her body was found five days later in St. Cloud. Her mom's boyfriend, Stephan Sterns, is charged with her murder.

Lopez and his office came under fire after an April 2022 shooting in the parking lot of a Target store, where two people were suspected of stealing $40 in pizza and Pokemon trading cards. That ended in a "takedown" operation, where 20-year-old Jayden Baez was shot and killed, and three others were hurt. A grand jury declined to file charges against the deputies involved in the shooting.

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The Source: The information in this article comes from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' executive order suspending Marcos Lopez as Osceola County Sheriff. That E.O. also included the criminal complaint related to the racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering charges. Info was also used from Lopez's official bio on the Osceola County Sheriff's Office website.

Florida