A video of security camera footage taken inside a Bonita Springs jewelry store shows Sheriff Carmine Marceno accepted a stack of cash this summer from the former contractor who has accused Marceno of using him to launder taxpayer money, an allegation the sheriff denies.
In the video, timestamped Wednesday, June 19, 2024 at 8:41 a.m., former Lee County Sheriff’s Office contractor Ken Romano walks along the jewelry counter to Marceno, who stands slightly out of frame, and hands him a stack of bills. Marceno accepts the cash, and then walks into frame so his face is visible.
Romano has recently levied accusations against Marceno of involving him in money laundering, as well as accepting extravagant gifts and hundreds of thousands of dollars to cover gambling debts without repayment. He was employed for six months in 2022 by the sheriff’s office as a communications and social media consultant, documents show.
The 26-second video was provided by Mike Hollow, a former Lee County Sheriff’s Office employee and head of internal affairs. Hollow is running against Marceno for the office of sheriff as a write-in candidate and has made Marceno’s conduct the primary focus of his campaign. Hollow said he got the video from Romano this summer.