Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez was suspended by Governor Ron DeSantis due to federal racketeering charges, with Christopher A. Blackmon appointed interim sheriff.

Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez has been charged with racketeering and suspended from office for involvement in a “massive” illegal gambling operation that generated more than $20 million in proceeds and spanned Central Florida, state and federal officials announced Thursday.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier’s Office of Statewide Prosecution charged Lopez and four other individuals in a 'massive Central Florida gambling operation'

Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez was arrested Thursday morning on charges of racketeering and conspiracy over allegations that he helped run and protect a gambling operation while the top law enforcement officer of the county.