While Sheriff Marcos Lopez has expanded enforcement and community engagement in and with the Osceola County Sheriff ’s Office since taking on the role after the 2020 election, his Osceola law enforcement tenure has also seen its share of controversy Here are some of the details:
In 2017, then Sgt. López was demoted to deputy after an internal investigation found he violated department policies. The violations, including violation of rules and unbecoming conduct, stemmed from Lopez’s criticizing the Sheriff ’s Office on social media and posting a selfie in uniform. López argued that his actions were protected under the First Amendment and claimed the discipline was politically motivated (he ran for Sheriff in 2016 as a no party affiliation candidate). He appealed the discipline to a career board, but the board voted to uphold the violations and discipline.
A deadly deputy-involved shooting followed the attempted take-down of a misdemeanor shoplifting incident outside a west Kissimmee Target store in Kissimmee in 2022. It was investigated by an Osceola County grand jury, which reviewed the incident and recommended changes to the Sheriff’s Office policies regarding vehicle takedowns to prevent similar outcomes in the future. This was not a direct investigation into Sheriff Lopez himself but involved his agency’s practices.
Former deputy Samantha Sanchez alleged that Sheriff Lopez made a lewd comment about a nude picture of a civilian employee. The photo was reportedly sent to another deputy, Alex Valentin, in 2022, and Sanchez discovered text conversations between Valentin and Lopez discussing the image. Sanchez reported the alleged conversation to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement after taking a screenshot, but She sheriff’s Office dismissed the allegation as a “rumor” and suggested it was tied to the election season, as Lopez was running for re-election in 2024.
No formal findings of wrongdoing by Lopez were confirmed, but the issue resurfaced in evidentiary hearings related to Sanchez’s termination, which she claimed was retaliatory after another deputy learned of her possession of the screenshot. The Sheriff ’s Office denied the allegations, and no conclusive action against Lopez was reported.
And, on March 2, 2024, a photograph allegedly depicting the body of 13-year-old Madeline Soto, found dead in a wooded area near St. Cloud, was posted to Sheriff Lopez’s personal Instagram account less than 24 hours after her body was discovered. The sheriff’s office issued an apology, but Lopez denied posting the photo himself during a radio interview. He would pay a $250 fine as part of a non-criminal public records breach case filed against him.
The State Attorney’s Office, then led by Andrew Bain, requested an internal affairs investigation by the Osceola County Sheriff ’s Office to assess the truthfulness of Lopez’s statements.
The sheriff ’s office conducted an “inquiry” rather than a full investigation, concluding there was insufficient evidence to support a policy violation for untruthfulness. Despite this, Bain placed Sheriff Lopez in the Brady Identification System in January 2025, citing concerns over his truthfulness, as his statements could be used to impeach him as a witness in criminal trials. Lopez called this a “political gimmick” and announced plans to appeal the decision.
The inquiry found Lopez was “not untruthful,” but the State Attorney’s Office disagreed, leading to his inclusion on the Brady List, which identifies law enforcement officers whose credibility may be in question.
