Lee County Sheriff\u2019s Office (LCSO) Sheriff Carmine Marceno announced on Nov. 18 that a probe into alleged improprieties on his part found no wrongdoing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe in the system. The FBI and the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office investigated and conducted independent investigations,\u201d he said in a statement issued by the LCSO. \u201cThey have found no wrongdoing. It is clear that from the beginning these were politically motivated allegations and completely false.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marceno\u2019s statement does not specify the allegations.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for Marceno referred questions to his attorney, Donald Day. Day did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.<\/p>\n
A letter released by the LCSO from the U.S. District Attorney\u2019s Office for the Middle District of Florida to Day, states that the office has been \u201cinvestigating allegations against your client, Sheriff Carmine Marceno. I am writing to inform you that based on information presently known to the government and the principles of federal prosecution, our office and the FBI have closed this investigation as of November 17, 2025.\u201d<\/p>\n
The letter goes on to state that \u201cthis letter does not bind any federal, state or local law enforcement or prosecuting authority, including this office, nor does it address or limit any civil or administrative action that a federal, state, or local authority may pursue with respect to this or any other matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
The letter provided by the LCSO does not show who signed the document. The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida is Gregory Kehoe. The letter was released after office hours for the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
Marceno was accused last year by Mike Hollow, a former LCSO employee who ran a write-in election campaign against Marceno last year, of having hired a \u201cghost employee\u201d as a consultant and then asking that contract employee to help pay for a luxury car for Marceno\u2019s father.<\/p>\n
The consultant, Bonita Springs jewelry store owner Ken Romano, had a consulting contract with the LCSO in 2022 to assist with communications and social media. According to LCSO records, the contract was terminated that same year after the office said it found out Romano was under investigation by another law enforcement agency.<\/p>\n
The consulting contract the LCSO previously had with Romano ran from January 2022 to August of that year, according to records provided by the LCSO. The contract initially called for Romano to be paid $4,000 a month and was amended in March of that year to pay Romano $5,700 a month. The contract was slated to run one year until it was terminated early.<\/p>\n
Hollow alleged that part of those funds were then used for the vehicle.<\/p>\n
Hollow has said that Romano co-operated with the investigation pertaining to the complaint.<\/p>\n
Romano declined comment on Nov. 19.<\/p>\n
Marceno steadfastly denied the allegations as untrue and characterized them as politically motivated from a former disgruntled employee.<\/p>\n
According to the contract provided by the LCSO, Romano was brought on as a consultant after Marceno determined \u201ca need exists for a consultant to assist the Sheriff\u2019s personnel by providing guidance regarding public relations including but not limited to social media presence and strategic communications.\u201d<\/p>\n
The office has maintained other consulting contracts during Marceno\u2019s tenure, none of which are alleged to have broken any laws.<\/p>\n
Marceno easily won re-election last year with more than 90% of the vote compared to 9% for Hollow.<\/p>\n
In January, the LCSO made an announcement that Marceno would make a statement regarding the investigation during a sit-down discussion with an employee, which the department livestreamed on Facebook. During the discussion, Marceno acknowledged the investigation and that his office was cooperating and moving on.<\/p>\n