Trident: Video shows Lee Sheriff Marceno accepting a stack of cash from a former “ghost employee.” Marceno’s lawyer says the transaction was legitimate.

by Bob Norman, Florida Trident

Embattled Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno has been captured in video recordings accepting a stack of cash from the same “ghost employee” who has claimed the two men were involved in a kickback scheme involving sheriff’s office funds paid to Marceno’s father. 

The video shows Marceno receiving what appears to be a thick stack of hundred-dollar bills from jeweler Ken Romano, who is said to be cooperating in an FBI investigation of the sheriff. 

The video, which includes two camera angles, was posted on social media by sheriff’s candidate Mike Hollow, a former K9 officer and internal affairs commander with LCSO. Hollow told the Florida Trident he obtained the video directly from Romano and that the transaction occurred in June of this year, a month after he accompanied Romano to the FBI with allegations against Marceno related to a 2022 consulting agreement Romano had with the sheriff’s office.

Romano and Marceno were in talks to renew Romano’s consulting contract with LCSO at the time of the exchange, said Hollow. Romano didn’t provide details on the exact context of the cash exchange, he said.

Romano, when contacted on the phone today at his store on Bonita Beach Road, told the Trident he wasn’t able to talk about the video or anything else having to do with the investigation.  

“I really can’t talk about it right now, I’m sorry,” Romano said. “I hope you understand. Believe me I want to, and when I do you’ll be the first person I call. You can quote me on that.” 

An emailed request to the sheriff’s office for an interview with Marceno that contained specific questions about the newly surfaced video was denied. 

“These are obviously politically motivated issues not related to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office,”  responded Lt. Chris Fine. “An attorney on behalf of Carmine Marceno will contact you.”

That attorney, Donald Day, told the Trident there was nothing improper about the exchange of cash shown in the video, but also wouldn’t explain exactly what the transaction was about. 

“Everything is legitimate,” said Day, who is based in Naples, adding, “You have a transaction inside of a business that by the way buys and sells products. … You don’t have evidence of anything [improper].” 

When asked why the sheriff took the cash, Day said he would divulge that information at a later date. The sheriff won’t be issuing public statements during the FBI investigation, said Day. 

“We don’t know what’s going on at the FBI right now,” Day told the Trident. “We have to wait until it’s over. … I will provide you everything at the appropriate time.” 

Romano claimed in an audio recording made with Hollow he had a “no work” consulting agreement in 2022 with the sheriff’s office paying him $5,700 a month – and that Marceno told him to pay $1,700 a month of that money to his father, Carmine Marceno Sr., for a white Mercedes Benz. The jeweler further claimed the sheriff owed him a quarter million dollars in gambling debts, jewelry, and other gifts over the years. 

Day said the consulting contract was also legitimate and witnesses could attest to Romano working at the sheriff’s office during the course of the consulting agreement, which ended when LCSO learned Romano was under investigation by another law enforcement agency. The nature of that investigation has not been revealed. 

The lawyer further said there were never any kickbacks paid to the sheriff’s father or anyone else and said it’s all “fabrications” coming from Hollow, whom he called a “disgruntled” former employee. 

“Absolutely ridiculous,” Day said of the kickback allegation. “And we can prove that one too.” 

Again, he refused to publicly release evidence to the contrary at the present time. 

“I can’t give you the evidence right now during an impending investigation,” Day said. 

About the Author: Bob Norman is an award-winning investigative reporter who serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Florida Trident and journalism program director for the Florida Center for Government Accountability. He can be reached at [email protected].