TAVARES, Fla. — Osceola County’s now-suspended sheriff, Marcos Lopez, had little to say during his first court appearance aside from asking for clarification on how to begin the bail process.
The judge set that bail at $1 million for his two racketeering-related charges.
State investigators say he allowed illegal gambling operations to run in Osceola and Lake counties in exchange for campaign contributions.
Federal authorities say he brought in more than $21 million.
WFTV is waiting for the more-than 200-page arrest affidavit’s release. It will have specific details about his alleged involvement in the gambling enterprise.
Prosecutors say he was not only involved, but also hindered efforts to investigate the businesses it operated out of.
As for his bail, the court wants to make sure any money he uses is not money prosecutors say he got illegally.
The weight of the evidences includes at the very least that he got between $600,000 to $700,000 since 2020 in cash payments from the alleged operation.
That new information is just a piece of what is expected to be released in the affidavit.
Prosecutors say the efforts started even before he was first elected sheriff in 2020 and continued long after.
Text messages show his alleged involvement and communications with his four co-defendants dating back to 2020.
Prosecutors say the affidavit will also show he was scouting locations to bring those illegal businesses from Lake County to Osceola County in 2021. They also say it will show be obstructed law enforcement efforts when it came to those businesses.
Prosecutors are also asking for a GPS monitor since his social media has ties to Puerto Rico.
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