Sheriff Marcos Lopez freed after $1M bond posted, as authorities reveal $1.1M seized in raid

Suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez has been released from jail after posting a $1 million bond. A judge confirmed the money used for his release didn’t come from any illegal source, which was necessary for him to get out.

Lopez was arrested on June 5 and held in the Lake County Jail until now. He’s facing two serious charges of racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering. Governor Ron DeSantis suspended him from office earlier this month.

#BreakingNews Suspended Osceola sheriff Marcos Lopez had bonded out of jail three weeks after his arrest on racketeering and conspiracy charges. He did not say anything while escorted into a truck. https://t.co/lIozdXjA3W @WESH pic.twitter.com/xAgs5U09JJ

— Justin Schecker (@justin_schecker) June 26, 2025

Details of the casino raid as Marcos Lopez freed on bond

According to the Orlando Sentinel, his arrest came after authorities seized about $1.1 million linked to an illegal casino in Kissimmee called The Eclipse. That money was allegedly tied to Krishna Deokaran, who prosecutors named in court as the casino’s owner and a co-conspirator. Deokaran has been arrested but hasn’t been formally charged, and it’s unclear why.

Records show that the money was seized through two separate forfeiture cases following an August 2023 raid on The Eclipse. One case revealed details of a year-long undercover investigation, although Lopez isn’t mentioned in that specific report. Deokaran did lose nearly $140,000 in cash from the raid and gave up close to $988,000 in four bank accounts, reportedly connected to another casino in Leesburg.

Investigators believe Lopez and others were trying to expand their gambling operation into Lake County starting in 2021. Court documents suggest the crimes happened between August 2019 and at least August 2024. A 255-page affidavit from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement claims Lopez received more than $700,000 in cash since 2020.

One business, Players Club, was connected to Deokaran through a company called Proactive Genius. That company is also linked to a car wash and another business, and all were listed in the forfeiture filings.

The Players Club is now marked as “temporarily closed,” but images show a logo matching The Eclipse, raising questions about whether they were connected. The state agency in charge of gambling enforcement hasn’t commented.

The Eclipse came under investigation in 2022 after an anonymous tip. Undercover agents visited the casino several times starting in July 2023, collecting evidence that later led to the raid.

Who else has been charged Robin Lynn Severance Lopez, estranged wife of suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez, appears in court via video. Credit: Fox 35 Orlando

So far, seven people have been charged, including Lopez and his estranged wife, Robin Severance-Lopez. She was arrested earlier this week and remains in jail on a $400,000 bond. Another suspect, Ying Zhang, has not yet been arrested.

Prosecutors say the group worked together to profit from illegal gambling. If convicted, Lopez could face up to 30 years in prison.

Featured image: WESH via X

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