An associate of suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez has been charged with money laundering by the same statewide prosecutors who are investigating a multimillion-dollar illicit gaming operation.
Krishna Deokaran, 50, was taken into Lake County Jail on Oct. 6 and released the same day on a $20,000 bond, according to recently obtained court records.
Deokaran has pled not guilty to money laundering, a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment.
Specifics of Deokaran’s alleged crime have not yet been revealed.
In previously released court documents, authorities charged the Orlando businessman with owning and managing several unlawful gaming establishments in Lake, Sumter, and Osceola counties.
Deokaran informed investigators that Lopez received between $600,000 and $700,000 from the gaming enterprises since 2020.
According to Deokaran, the cash payments were typically placed in manila envelopes and delivered to Lopez at restaurants or the sheriff’s residence.
In exchange for the money from Deokaran, authorities claim Lopez exploited his position as sheriff to safeguard the illicit gambling enterprise.
Lopez pled not guilty to racketeering allegations.
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