Law enforcement announced that they arrested a Central Florida sheriff this week, alleging racketeering and conspiracy as part of a probe into an improper gambling operation.
Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez is facing first-degree felony charges after being arrested and taken into custody in Lake County, which is located near the Walt Disney World amusement park.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier accused Lopez in a June 5 statement of seizing campaign contributions, personal payments, and shielding illegal gambling activities.
Lopez, a Democrat, has been sheriff since 2020 and was reelected in 2024.
“It is in the best interests of the residents of Osceola County, and the citizens of the State of Florida, that Lopez be immediately suspended from public office,” DeSantis said in the order. “Christopher A. Blackmon is hereby appointed forthwith, effective June 5, 2025, to fill the position of Sheriff for Osceola County, Florida, in accordance with Article IV, section 7, subsection (a) of the Florida Constitution for the duration of the suspension.”
Authorities said the organization involved four other defendants and generated more than $21.6 million in illicit proceeds.
Other individuals are expected to be served with arrest warrants in the coming days as the investigation continues.
The alleged criminal organization was uncovered after an investigation involving Homeland Security Investigations and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).
“As law enforcement, we are held to higher standards of integrity and character than other professions,” FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass said. "This case revealed that Lopez violated the trust and integrity expected of him as the duly elected sheriff of Osceola County."