Robin Severance-Lopez: Sheriff’s estranged wife accepts plea deal, avoids jail time in gambling case

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The estranged wife of suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez is changing her plea in a racketeering case tied to an alleged illegal gambling ring.

Robin Severance-Lopez, who had been scheduled to go to trial next month, pleaded guilty and will avoid jail time under a new agreement that calls for 24 months of probation, according to court records. 

What we know:

Severance-Lopez is expected to plead guilty to a reduced charge of money laundering. She will also receive probation for providing false or misleading information on a bail application — the allegation that led to her being taken back into custody after she was first released on bond.

The backstory:

The case is part of a broader investigation into an alleged illegal gambling operation. 

According to documents filed last week, Krishna Deokaran, another person charged in the alleged illegal gambling operation, was expected to testify that he handed Severance Lopez an envelope of cash in 2022 — a claim that could have further weakened her defense. 

Severance-Lopez accepts plea deal, avoids jail time in gambling case

The estranged wife of suspended Osceola County Sheriff Morcos Lopez is changing her plea in a racketeering case tied to an alleged illegal gambling ring.

Severance-Lopez had rejected an earlier plea deal this month, insisting she was innocent.

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Several co-defendants in the racketeering case have already pleaded guilty. Court records indicate the judge will withhold adjudication as part of Severance-Lopez’s agreement — a key sticking point in previous negotiations, as she sought to avoid being formally adjudicated guilty and labeled a convicted felon.

What we don't know:

The new allegation that surfaced last week by DeoKaran might have further weakened Severance-Lopez’s defense after she rejected a plea deal earlier this month. It remains unclear whether the testimony that was to be offered by DeoKaran played a part in Severance-Lopez's decision to take the plea deal. 

What's next:

Suspended Sheriff Marcos Lopez is due back in court for a plea negotiation conference on Dec. 2.