It appears the governor's office has begun vetting people should there be a vacancy in the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
NBC2 has been reporting for months about an FBI investigation into Sheriff Carmine Marceno for alleged money laundering.
So far, NBC2 has discovered that two men appear to be frontrunners for the seat if Marceno is indicted.
North Port police Chief Todd Garrison was named Southwest Florida Police Chief of the Year on Wednesday.
NBC2 contacted Garrison, who said if, for some reason, the sheriff's seat became available, he would be interested in the job.
Former Clay County Sheriff Matt Walsh, who is originally from Lee County, said he had no comment on whether he was interested in the job.
Both Walsh and Garrison are former Lee County deputies. The governor's office also had no comment about whether it was beginning to vet a replacement for Marceno.
NBC2 was told earlier this month that a federal grand jury began hearing evidence collected by the feds against Marceno.
Lee County Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass revealed publicly during a December meeting that the grand jury was meeting.
“The grand jury is going to be convened for 10 days, and we're not going to know anything for a few weeks,” Pendergrass announced.
Marceno's opponent, Mike Hollow, first revealed that Marceno was the target of an FBI investigation.
“Mr. Romano and I sat down with them in May of this year. May 21st of 2024,” Hollow previously said.
Ken Romano, who was on the sheriff's payroll as a consultant, said in a recorded interview given to the FBI that he helped pay the sheriff's gambling debts and admitted he was part of a money laundering scheme allegedly organized by the sheriff.
“Every month, I would just give his father the money. I would take money and throw it on top of the medicine cabinet,” Romano said.
The sheriff has avoided answering questions about the matter. In fact, on Wednesday, his office said he was too busy to talk after multiple attempts to reach him and his attorney for comment.
On Tuesday, the sheriff stood shoulder to shoulder with the state attorney to announce murder charges for a case in Lehigh Acres. It was held on Facebook Live, and no members of the media were allowed to attend or ask questions.
If Marceno is indicted, he could be arrested, suspended or removed from office by the governor, who could appoint his replacement. Depending on the timing, there could also be a special election for voters to choose his replacement.