THE cop who accidentally posted a picture of a dead teen’s body on his Instagram last year has now been suspended from office over a gambling and corruption scandal, police said.
Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez was arrested on Thursday morning and booked into jail on charges of racketeering.
Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez in his mugshot after being booked into the Lake County Jail[/caption]
Lopez, who has served as sheriff since 2021[/caption]
Thirteen-year-old Madeline Soto, who was found dead on March 1, 2024[/caption]
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Lopez was arrested as part of a massive investigation into an illegal gambling operation and public corruption scheme.
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.
Last year, Lopez came under fire when he accidentally posted a picture of Madeline Soto’s body on social media as cops investigated the 13-year-old’s death.
The case garnered national attention after Soto went missing in February 2024.
A few days later, her mom’s boyfriend was arrested as the last person to see the teen alive.
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 disturbing picture in the carousel showed Soto’s body lying in a brush.
The post was quickly deleted and the department was forced to apologize.
“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,” a spokesperson said in a statement at the time.
“The photo was immediately removed. We deeply apologize for any confusion or disturbance this may have caused.”
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