Newly Released Affidavit Details Alleged Role of Suspended Florida Sheriff in $21M Gambling Enterprise

New details have emerged about suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos R. Lopez’s role in an illegal gambling network. A 255-page affidavit alleges Lopez helped build, shield, and profit from an illicit gambling enterprise that collected over $21 million across Central Florida.

Authorities arrested Lopez in June on two first-degree felonies: racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering. He faces accusations of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal cash.

Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended him and appointed interim Sheriff Christopher Blackmon while the case is ongoing. Lopez has pleaded not guilty and has been released on $1 million bond.

Several co-defendants, including Ying “Kate” Zhang, Krishna Deokaran, Sharon Fedrick, Sheldon Wetherholt, Carol Cote, and Lopez’s estranged wife Robin Severance Lopez, are also charged in the case.

Promises Before Becoming Sheriff

The affidavit reveals Lopez’s alleged involvement before his appointment as sheriff in 2020. Prosecutors say he worked with business investor Zhang to open an “internet amusement cafe” — sweepstakes-style gambling parlors, which are growing across Florida and often cover illegal gambling operations.

In one text message cited by local news media WESH, Lopez allegedly wrote to Zhang:

“Kate, nothing to worry. No matter what the outcome is, when I win, we start the first internet amusement cafe in Osceola County. You will be safe and not have to worry about anything because I will be your sheriff.”

Investigators say this message shows Lopez pledging to use his future office to protect the business from law enforcement scrutiny.

Zhang is believed to have fled the country.

Shaping the Operation

According to the affidavit, Lopez introduced Zhang to Deokaran in 2019. Investigators describe Deokaran as the ringleader of the illicit operations, owning casinos in Lake County and the Eclipse Social Club.

Once in office, Lopez allegedly became more involved as Deokaran’s network expanded. Prosecutors allege he participated in site selection and used his position to protect them from scrutiny.

In one text, when Deokaran suggested opening a location near the sheriff’s office on State Road 192, Lopez allegedly replied: “No, that can’t work because it’s too close for comfort.”

Later, Lopez connected Deokaran with the location that would become the Eclipse Social Club in Kissimmee, texting: “We did a raid. I shut the place down. It’s ours.”

The affidavit states that Lopez frequently visited the Eclipse location, sometimes while in uniform. He also assisted with leases and recruiting new operators at sites in Clermont, Lady Lake, Leesburg, Belleview, and Tavares.

Alleged Protection & Payments

In one exchange described in the affidavit, a co-conspirator sent Lopez a photo and warned: “Your deputies are at the Eclise.”

Lopez allegedly replied: “Let me know if they say something. You should have no issues.”

The affidavit also includes a text in which Lopez appeared to discuss financial arrangements with Zhang: “Also, remember we made an agreement with Kate to pay me some money for the connection starting December 1st, how are we going to do it?”

In proffer interviews, Deokaran admitted paying Lopez cash each time they met. Typical payments ranged from $10,000 to $35,000 at a time, totaling between $600,000 and $700,000. Prosecutors allege the overall gambling operation brought in more than $21.6 million between 2019 and 2024.

Part of a Broader Rise in Illegal Arcades

The Lopez allegations emerge amid a wave of crackdowns on illegal arcades across Florida.

At the beginning of this month, a multi-agency crackdown dubbed “Operation Bad Odds” in Polk County resulted in 28 arrests and the seizure of 48 gambling machines and over $100,000 in cash. Around the same time, authorities arrested two women in Miami-Dade County for allegedly operating an illegal gambling operation.

A few weeks before, Cape Coral police and the Florida Gaming Control Commission raided six arcades and one residence, seizing 428 illegal gambling machines and over $540,000 in cash. Investigators said the machines were rigged to pay back as little as 18%, far below Florida’s legal minimum payout standard of 85%.

In Port Richey, a raid labeled “Operation Skilled Takedown” shut down five illegal gambling establishments. They seized over 200 illegal machines and nearly $200,000 in cash.

These are just a few examples of the numerous raids Florida authorities have conducted in 2025. Law enforcement officials say these venues often disguise themselves as “internet cafes” or “social clubs” to evade gambling laws. That’s the same model prosecutors say Lopez was protecting.

While most such operations attempt to stay below the radar, investigators allege that Lopez went further, using the sheriff’s badge itself as a shield.