Lee County leader calls for Sheriff Marceno to resign or be removed
A top Lee County elected Republican is calling on Sheriff Carmine Marceno to resign or be removed from office by the governor amid an FBI investigation into the sheriff.
State Committeeman Mick Peters sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis and county commissioners saying the sheriff should step aside or be removed.
“This is specifically regarding the chief law enforcer of the county and he needs to be above reproach,” Peters said.
He said in his letter he believes the allegations against the sheriff are hurting the Republican Party.
“We're talking about integrity, reliability, accountability. Our party being above reproach,” Peters continued.
His comments came nearly a week after Marceno admitted he was subpoenaed by the FBI and that the agency requested documents and supplied them and moved on.
But Peters said the taxpayers are not moving on so easily amid the black cloud over the department.
“This has been a drip, drip, drip, like Chinese water torture, since September. I don't know why everyone else isn't calling for the same thing,” Peters said.
The sheriff is accused of money laundering after ABC7 confirmed the FBI subpoenaed documents regarding his office and home.
“This is not directed at the rank and file of the sheriff's department. They are some of the most fabulous people I’ve worked with or ever met,” Peters said.
State Sen. Jonathan Martin responded in a letter, saying, "While the video and stories circulating social media concern me greatly I have yet to see any reports from a completed investigation.”
Martin concluded that once the information from the investigation was released, he would respond accordingly.
The Lee County Sheriff's Office provided the following response:
"Sheriff Carmine Marceno remains an active member of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and is dedicated to the residents of Lee County."
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