Osceola County Sheriff Lopez Co-defendant Pleads Guilty in $21M Illegal Gambling Case

Carol Cote, a co-defendant in the racketeering and illegal gambling case against suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez, has pleaded guilty to racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering. Cote, who worked as a bookkeeper maintaining financial records for the alleged multi-million-dollar illegal gambling operation based at the Eclipse Social Club in Kissimmee, agreed to testify in court proceedings as part of her plea deal. Prosecutors say the gambling enterprise generated over $21 million in illicit proceeds, with Lopez using his position as sheriff to shield the operation from law enforcement and to profit from it, including funneling money to his election campaign. Lopez, who was arrested and suspended by Governor Ron DeSantis, has pleaded not guilty and is set to stand trial on October 20. Other co-defendants include Lopez's wife Robin Severance-Lopez, Sharon Fedrick, Sheldon Wetherholt, and Ying Zhang, who remains at large. The investigation was conducted by the Florida Attorney General's Office and uncovered a criminal enterprise operating from at least 2019 to 2024.