Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno Faces Fund Misuse Allegations in Leaked Recording

Accusations Against Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno faces serious allegations following accusations of misusing funds. These claims arise from a leaked recording provided by his political rival, Mike Hollow. Hollow stated that Marceno was involved in money laundering and suggested that the FBI was investigating him. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office confirmed it is cooperating with law enforcement but did not comment further on specifics.

Marceno’s office referred all inquiries about the investigation to the appropriate agencies, while the FBI did not confirm or deny any investigation into Marceno. His attorney, Donald Day, claimed neither he nor Marceno had been contacted by the FBI.

Details of Allegations

The leaked recording features Ken Romano, a former contractor for the sheriff’s office, accusing Marceno of laundering taxpayer money through him. Romano supposedly received more than $30,000 for minimal work as a social media expert. In the recording, Romano claimed he helped pass taxpayer money to Marceno’s family, and he mentioned paying off Marceno’s gambling debts.

In his financial disclosures, Marceno reported over $400,000 in gambling income over several years. When confronted about these allegations, Marceno labeled them as “baseless” but has since declined to provide further comments.

A video surfaced showing Marceno accepting cash from Romano in June 2024. Day defended the transaction, saying it was a legitimate sale. Nevertheless, Marceno has not answered questions regarding this matter.

Financial Dealings and Contractor Payments

Under Marceno’s administration, the sheriff’s office reportedly paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to contractors without established guidelines. One contractor signed under a pseudonym and received over $150,000 for work that seemed excessive compared to the contracted amount of $60,000 annually.

Susan Edwards operated the LLC behind the pseudonym, which raises questions about Marceno’s awareness of the identity during contract signing. Another contractor, former state senator Lizbeth Benacquisto, was paid a substantial sum for vague consulting services.

While these contractors have faced scrutiny, they have largely remained silent regarding their agreements. Hollow has claimed the FBI is investigating Marceno based on Romano’s accusations. However, Marceno has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

Conclusion

The situation surrounding Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno continues to develop, with serious accusations that require further investigation. The lack of clear responses from Marceno and his contractors leaves many questions unanswered regarding the financial practices within the sheriff’s office.