Attorney General Uthmeier: "Other individuals are expected to be served with arrest warrants in the coming days"
FHP region chief Christopher Blackmon has been named as the interim sheriff after Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Lopez. (Photo/LinkedIn)
With Florida's Attorney General citing Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez's role in a "massive Central Florida gambling operation", Lopez was arrested Thursday morning and is in custody in Lake County, where he is charged with felony racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering.
According to Lake County jail records, he is currently held without bond, pending a June 30 hearing.
Lopez reportedly appeared in uniform at the Homeland Security Investigations Office in Orlando around 9:30 a.m. and was booked in Lake County just after 11 a.m. Calls to Osceola County Sheriff's Office, including its public information officer, went unreturned into Thursday afternoon.
Gov. Ron DeSantis immediately issued an executive order suspending Lopez. Christopher A. Blackmon, a longtime Florida Highway Patrol region chief, has been appointed to fill the Sheriff position for the duration of the suspension.
"Mr. Lopez was informed against in the Fifth Judicial Circuit on June 5, 2025, for one count of Racketeering, a first-degree felony ... and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering, a first-degree felony," the executive order reads.
In a release Thursday, Uthmeier and the Attorney General's office said Lopez "engaged the (illegal) 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 said.
According to the Attorney General's report, an investigation led by the Department of Homeland Security and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement began in 2023 and uncovered a criminal organization operating an illegal gambling enterprise throughout Central Florida, particularly in Lake and Osceola Counties. The organization generated more than $21.6 million in illicit proceeds.
"Following his election as Osceola County Sheriff in November 2020, Lopez continued to advance the interests of the criminal organization and collected a portion of the illegal gambling proceeds for his involvement," Uthmeier's statement read. "Other individuals are expected to be served with arrest warrants in the coming days."
According to charging documents released by the Attorney General, prosecutors claim Lopez and co-defendants Ying "Kate" Zhang, Sharon Fedrick, Sheldon Wetherholt and Carol Cote operated an establishment out of a restaurant and hookah bar on West U.S. Highway 192 "for the purpose of gaming or gambling or did permit ... any person to play for money or other valuable thing at any game."
The Eclipse Social Club was established as a limited liability company (LLC) at that address in 2024, and a post made to the Eclipse Social Club Tiktok account shows two rooms full of gaming machines. That location, now a El Mexicano Bar and Grill, just west of Medieval Times, was empty and closed on Thursday. Windows at the rear of the building were covered with aluminum shutters.
The report noted the location housed a slot machine, "set up, promoted or conducted a lottery for money of for something of value", and engaged in money laundering of an amount between $300 and $20,000. These allegations stem from as far back as 2019 — Lopez was elected Sheriff in 2020. From 2021 through August 2024, they allege he did "knowingly and intentionally request or agree to accept ... benefit not authorized by law for the ... violation of any any act or omission which the person believes to have been in violation of public duty in violation of Florida Statute."
"This is a solemn day for Florida and our law enforcement community. We put great trust in our constitutional officers, especially those who are our communities' first line of defense." Uthmeier said. "However, the law must be applied equally, regardless of position, power, or branch of government. Public servants should never exploit the public's trust for personal gain. Our Statewide Prosecutors will hold Sheriff Lopez, his associates, and all lawbreakers accountable."
Osceola County released a statement at noon Thursday:
“The Sheriff is a separate constitutional officer, apart from the County or the County Commission, and it’s important to note that the County had no role in this investigation," County Manager Don Fisher said. "However, the County and our Commission stand ready at the helm to support Interim Sheriff Christopher Blackmon and the courageous men and women of the Osceola Sheriff’s Department however we can during this period, as appropriate."
Lopez has spent over two decades with the Osceola Sheriff's Office, rising from deputy to sergeant. In the 2020 election he defeated incumbent Russ Gibson and challenger Mike Fisher in the Democratic primary before winning the November general election over a no party-affiliated candidate to become the county's first Hispanic sheriff. In his 2024 re-election, he survived a five-way Democratic primary, winning with 37% of the vote, then defeated Republican Donnie Martinez in the general election.
His tenure has seen consternation. A 2022 deadly deputy-involved shooting that occurred outside a Kissimmee Target store 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. Also in 2022, a former deputy alleged Lopez made a lewd comment about a nude picture of a civilian employee reportedly sent to another deputy. FDLE received the complaint, but the 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.
Then, 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 Lopez’s personal Instagram account. While Lopez denied posting the photo himself, then-State Attorney Andrew Bain requested an investigation 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 on the Brady Identification System, which identifies law enforcement officers whose credibility may be in question, 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.
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