OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — A Central Florida sheriff is behind bars after being accused of taking part in a "massive" illegal gambling operation for years, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Thursday.

Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez faces charges of racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering.

In 2023, Uthmeier said a multi-agency investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, uncovered "a criminal organization operating an illegal gambling enterprise throughout Central Florida, particularly in Lake and Osceola counties."

The organization generated more than $21 million in illicit proceeds, Uthmeier said.

The Sunshine State's attorney general said in a news release that following Lopez's election as sheriff in

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