Suspended Florida Sheriff Tied to $21M Gambling Network

Recently unsealed records tied to allegations against suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos R. Lopez say the lawman allegedly supported the growth and protection of a multimillion-dollar gambling network spread across Central Florida.

$21M in Five Years

In a 255-page affidavit, prosecutors detailed the way Lopez was directly involved in finding new locations, shielding operators, and accepting large sums of money in cash. In total, investigators say, the network generated over $21 million in total between 2019 and 2024.

Lopez, who was accused of turning into a “silent partner” in at least one of the illegal business operations, was arrested in June on racketeering and conspiracy charges. He has pleaded not guilty to the first-degree felonies and is currently out on a $1 million bond. 

His arrest warrant said that he “initially joined the operation in exchange for political campaign contributions and personal payments”.  

Gov. Ron DeSantis wasted no time with his suspension, choosing Christopher Blackmon to step in as interim sheriff while the case is still underway.

Lopez to Business Partner Zhang: “I Will Be Your Sheriff”

According to prosecutors, before being elected sheriff in 2020, Lopez presumably partnered with business investor Ying “Kate” Zhang with the purpose of setting up an “internet amusement café,” which is a sweepstakes parlor frequently used as a cover-up for illegal gambling activities.

One text message cited in the affidavit shows Lopez assured Zhang, who has since fled the country, of his protection: “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.”

The suspended sheriff is also accused of introducing Zhang to ringleader Krishna Deokaran, owner of several gambling venues in Lake County, including the Eclipse Social Club. Once in office, Lopez allegedly made use of his position to help the group grow even more.

Deokaran suggested opening a site near the sheriff’s office, but Lopez pushed back, saying it would not work since it would be “too close for comfort.” However, one of Lopez’s next texts that followed a raid at a rival location said, “I shut the place down. It’s ours.”

Prosecutors say Lopez often visited Eclipse, sometimes while wearing the official uniform, and even helped with leases and operator recruitment across multiple counties, for which he was remunerated between $10,000 and $35,000 in cash during each meeting, for a total of $700,000.

Lopez’s case comes amid a wave of statewide crackdowns on unlicensed arcades. This year alone, a series of raids in Polk, Miami-Dade, Cape Coral, and Port Richey revealed hundreds of illegal machines and millions in cash from venues posing as “internet cafés” or “social clubs” to cleverly dodge gambling laws.