Robin Lynn Severance Lopez, the wife of a California sheriff who was previously arrested on charges for helping facilitate illegal gambling operations, was also booked, with investigators charging Lopez with a charge of conspiracy to use or invest proceeds tied to racketeering.
Wife Accused as Part of Criminal Gambling Ring Worth Millions
The arrest happened on Tuesday, and Lopez is now looking at a possible maximum sentence of 15 years should she be found guilty, and she has been arrested only several weeks after the detention of Marcos R. Lopez, the ousted Osceola County Sheriff, who is said to have helped run an underground operation that has brought in more than $21 million in profits.
Florida Gov. Ros DeSantis, as well as the Attorney General’s office, have taken issue with the man, accusing him of exploiting his position as a member of law enforcement. Lopez assisted the criminal ops in Osceola and Lake counties, helping keep it under the radar from fellow policemen.
He is said to have been incredibly good at it as well, having helped the operation run from 2019 through 2024, or later, and he may have even received a managing position within the organization, helping manage the venue hands-on.
The Lopez are not the only ones charged in the case, with more co-conspirators already named in public, including Sheldon Wetherholt, Sharon Fedrick, Ying Zhang, and Carol Cote.
The former sheriff was eventually busted by the Homeland Security Investigations and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, which launched an investigation into the illicit operation in 2023, and identified him as one of the prominent culprits shortly after.