A police officer who mistakenly shared an image of a deceased teenager on his Instagram account has been suspended from his duties due to involvement in a scandal related to gambling and corruption, according to authorities.
Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez was arrested on Thursday morning and booked into jail on charges of racketeering.
The suspension of the officer, identified as Lopez, was confirmed by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. Lopez’s arrest was made in connection to a wide-ranging probe into activities related to illegal gambling and corruption.
Lopez was suspended from his role as he’s held in the Lake County Jail in Tavares, Florida, a suburb of Orlando.
Christopher Blackmon was appointed to replace Lopez, who has served as sheriff since 2021.
This isn’t the first time Lopez has made headlines for a public scandal.
Notably, Lopez faced criticism last year for inadvertently uploading a photo of the body of Madeline Soto on social media while law enforcement officers were investigating the circumstances surrounding the 13-year-old’s passing.
The case garnered national attention after Soto went missing in February 2024.
A few days later, her mom’s boyfriend, Stephan Sterns, was arrested as the last person to see the teen alive.
Sterns was later charged with sexually abusing and murdering Soto. He has pleaded not guilty and is set to face trial in September.
Soto’s body was found in a wooded area on March 1, 2024.
The day after the gruesome discovery, Lopez accidentally included a picture of Soto’s body at the crime scene in a photo dump meant to show a fun day with senior citizens.
The caption of the post said, “Great day with our seniors. #florida #senior @sheriffmarcoslopez,” with a halo smiley face emoji.
The graphic picture in the carousel showed Soto’s body lying in a brush.
The post was quickly deleted and the department was forced to apologize.
Osceola County Manager’s statement
The Osceola County manager released a statement following Sheriff Marcos Lopez’s arrest.
“The Sheriff is a separate constitutional officer, apart from the County or the County Commission, and it’s important to note that the County had no role in this investigation.
“However, the County and our Commission stand ready at the helm to support Interim Sheriff Christopher Blackmon and the courageous men and women of the Osceola Sheriff’s Department however we can during this period, as appropriate.
“Further questions regarding this matter may be referred to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office or law enforcement.”
Source: Osceola County Manager Don Fisher
“On March 2, 2024, a post was made on social media about a community event for seniors. In the post, an investigative photo was accidentally included,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement at the time.
“The photo was immediately removed. We deeply apologize for any confusion or disturbance this may have caused.”
Lopez agreed to pay a fine after the disturbing mistake.
He pleaded no contest to a civil infraction and agreed to pay a $250 fine, according to the State Attorney Andrew Baine’s office. He never faced criminal charges for the photo.
Now, in an entirely separate case, the embattled sheriff has been charged with one count of racketeering and one count of conspiracy to commit racketeering.
Both charges are first-degree felonies and a case has been filed against Lopez in federal district court.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement launched an investigation into a crime ring in 2023.
Cops said the illegal gambling organization made more than $21.6 million throughout counties in Central Florida.
Lopez allegedly helped the criminal organization since he was elected as sheriff in 2020 and collected money for himself, prosecutors said.
