Overview

• Sheldon Wetherholt pleaded no contest to racketeering and conspiracy in Lake County and was adjudicated guilty, with the state to recommend 3 to 12 months in county jail and the judge retaining full discretion at sentencing.
• Sharon Fedrick pleaded guilty to charges connected to the gambling enterprise, with prosecutors recommending 36 to 60 months in prison, and her plea also covers separate felony counts out of Orange County.
• Last week, bookkeeper Carol Cote pleaded guilty and agreed to cooperate, including testifying, under a deal that caps the recommended sentence at 364 days in county jail.
• A 255-page arrest affidavit cites electronic messages, financial records, and interviews alleging Lopez used his office to protect The Eclipse casino through entities such as Fusion Social Club LLC, with key material attributed to businessman Krishna Deokaran.
• Lopez has pleaded not guilty and seeks to move his trial to Osceola County, with a venue hearing set for Tuesday and a roughly two-week racketeering trial scheduled for November.