A central Florida sheriff was arrested as part of a gambling probe

The sheriff of a cardinal Florida region was arrested connected charges of racketeering and conspiracy arsenic portion of what authorities authorities described arsenic a probe into a monolithic gambling operation

KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- A sheriff successful cardinal Florida was arrested Thursday connected charges of racketeering and conspiracy arsenic portion of what authorities authorities described arsenic a probe into a monolithic gambling operation.

Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez was arrested connected first-degree felonies and taken to the jailhouse successful adjacent Lake County, Florida. Osceola County is southbound of Orlando, and portion of the region is location to Walt Disney World.

Lopez took run contributions and idiosyncratic payments arsenic good arsenic protected the gambling operation, according to a connection enactment retired by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.

Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Lopez successful an enforcement bid and appointed a Florida Highway Patrol authoritative to beryllium the county’s sheriff.

The operation, which progressive 4 different defendants, ran a lottery, slot machines and a “gambling house” retired of a concern known arsenic Fusion Social Club successful a tourist-heavy country of Kissimmee, Florida, according to tribunal documents. The enactment took successful much than $21.6 cardinal successful illicit proceeds, authorities said.

“As instrumentality enforcement, we are held to higher standards of integrity and quality than different professions,” Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass said successful a statement. “This lawsuit revealed that Lopez violated the spot and integrity expected of him arsenic the duly elected sheriff of Osceola County.”

An enquiry sent to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office wasn’t initially answered.

County Manager Don Fisher said successful a connection that the region played nary relation successful the probe and that region officials were prepared to enactment the interim sheriff.

In December, Lopez pleaded nary contention to violating authorities records laws and agreed to wage a $250 good for posting online an representation of the assemblage of 13-year-old Madeline Soto. The fellow of the girl's parent has been charged with her death.

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This communicative has been corrected to bespeak that the counts were first-degree felonies, not second-degree felonies.

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