Federal investigation involving Sheriff Carmine Marceno and LCSO

WINK News has exclusively obtained a letter warning ranking government leaders in Lee County that money trouble could be brewing within the sheriff’s office and Carmine Marceno.

The Lee County Clerk of Court and Comptroller Kevin Karnes sent a letter to the Lee County Manager and others saying that “in light of public allegations of fraud within the Lee County Sheriff’s Office,” he felt compelled to notify the county commissioners of “financial risk or risks the county may face.”

Knowing what we know now, we asked Karnes if his concerns have grown.

“Definitely,” he said. “I mean, there’s always more questions to ask when something of this nature happens.”

Karnes wrote the letter on Oct. 29, nearly a month after reports surfaced that federal investigators might be investigating Sheriff Carmine Marceno and potential money laundering allegations.

“That was sent to them. The ball is in their court,” Karnes said.

WINK News Anchor Claire Galt confirmed Tuesday morning the federal government has subpoenaed Lee County’s building and permitting services office for records on both the sheriff’s office headquarters and Marceno’s home.

Karnes hasn’t seen the investigation and doesn’t know if it says anything about fraud.

However, he thinks taxpayers need to know where the Lee County Sheriff’s Office money is going.

“I think if there is a concern about the building department, there might be value in looking into their policies and procedures and making some recommendations back to the county commissioners,” Karnes said.

Karnes said his warnings were shot down.

Karnes made it clear in his letter that an external auditor wanted to audit the sheriff’s office and noted the commissioners and the under-sheriff “expressed passionate disagreements.”

Karnes hopes a federal investigation will change things.

“This is really their money that they spend on behalf of the taxpayer,” he said.

He wrapped his letter by saying, “I look forward to working with the board to preserve the financial interests of the taxpayers we serve.”

A federal grand jury will look further into this as soon as Monday.

For months, Marceno has been at the center of allegations surrounding videos like the one where he is seen taking cash from a Bonita Springs jeweler.

Marceno’s attorney confirmed that the man in the video is the sheriff but said this was a legitimate transaction.

Marceno’s opponent in the last election, Mike Hollow, was quick to suggest fraud before people went to the polls.

“As stewards of a taxpayer at large, when you hear the word fraud, we owe it to the taxpayers to do our due diligence and make sure that we’re dotting I’s and crossing T’s,” Karnes said.

Karnes told us that he plans to work with county commissioners and their staff to figure out the next steps.

We contacted the county commissioners, the county attorney, and the county manager to see what those are.

We also reached out to LCSO, and they sent us this response: “As has been the case every year, all funds have been accounted for, and all audits have determined the agency’s protocols more than sufficient.”