Latest news with #Wetherholt
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Arrested Osceola County sheriff connected to illegal casino empire
Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez walked into a federal building Thursday morning, but just minutes later was stripped of his gun and his badge. Lopez was put in handcuff and read his rights, as federal authorities charged him with racketeering after a lengthy investigation. Soon after, Gov,. Ron DeSantis suspended him as sheriff. According to Homeland Security Investigations, the investigation started in 2023. The state attorney general said Lopez was involved is a 'massive illegal gambling operation' in Osceola and Lake counties. Authorities say that operation brought in more than $20 million. Investigators say it started after Lopez took office in 2020. He allegedly allowed gambling operations to set up illegally in his county in exchange for cash. Investigators say Lopez played a multifaceted role in expanding and protecting the illegal enterprise, using his office to shield it from law enforcement. Four co-defendants - Ying Zhang, Sharon Fredrick, Sheldon Wetherholt and Carol Cote - are also named in the charging documents. They're accused of running or working for the illegal gambling operation. State prosecutors list one location in the charging documents. Eclipse Social Club, also known as Fusion Social Club, operated at 4561 West Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway in Kissimmee. The former club is now a Mexican restaurant. State prosecutors say Eclipse Social Club operated from about June 2022 to August 2024. On the club's TikTok, you can see Eclipse Social Club repeatedly promoting gambling. The social media page calls the establishment 'a casino with a lot, fish tables and computer games with daily promotions.' Videos show the wall of the building lined with at least 20 video slots and other gaming machines. According to state business records, Wetherholt was the manager of this social club. Wetherholt, Zhang and Lopez are accused of keeping the gambling house, unlawfully having slot machines and setting up or promoting a lottery. State prosecutors say Lopez and Zhang were also involved with money laundering so disguising the money collected from this illegal gambling operation. Fedrick and Cote are listed in court documents as employees or agents of this operation. Cote was booked in the Lake County Jail at 2 p.m. Thursday. WFTV found Wetherholt filed for the LLC in 2020 out of Citrus County. The LLC was active until 2024 shortly after it was passed to a Wyoming LLC. Investigators say more arrest warrants will be filed in the coming days. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cardinals Farm Report: Joshua Baez Finding Stride for High-A Peoria
While the St. Louis Cardinals keep surging against MLB opponents, the team's farm system is excelling, too. Here's a look at the top players in the organization from last week and a player to keep an eye on: Advertisement Joshua Baez, Peoria Chiefs (High-A) High-A Peoria Chiefs outfielder Joshua Baez put up video game numbers in five games last week, going 12-for-24 while scoring six times and driving in four. The 21-year-old collected two doubles, a triple and seven stolen bases while slashing .500/.520/.667. Baez has been Peoria's best hitter in 2025; he's currently leading the team with 38 hits, 19 RBI and 18 stolen bases in 32 games. St. Louis Cardinals minor league outfielder Joshua Baez warming up in the on-deck circle for a 2024 Dayhoff / Journal Star / USA Today Network JJ Wetherholt, Springfield Cardinals (Double-A) Cardinals No. 1 prospect and current Double-A Springfield Cardinal JJ Wetherholt has been off to a hot start at his new level this season, ramping up his production last week with a .750 slugging percentage in five games. The 2024 seventh overall pick drove in six runs on seven hits, including two doubles and two home runs, in 20 at-bats. Wetherholt is currently batting .296 in 27 games so far this year. Ixan Henderson, Springfield Cardinals (Double-A) The team's No. 25 prospect, left-handed pitcher Ixan Henderson, had two solid starts for Springfield last week, striking out 13 batters in 10 2/3 innings of work. The former eighth rounder carried a 2.53 ERA through the two games, allowing just three total runs while holding opposing hitters to a .225 average. Henderson is rocking a 2.25 ERA through 36 innings across seven starts this season, racking up 45 strikeouts in total. Advertisement Player to keep an eye on Triple-A Memphis utility man Bryan Torres has had a hot start to the season despite having a down week. The 2024 Peninsula Winter League MVP is coming off of an impressive season with Springfield and seems to be on a mission to crack the Cardinals' big-league roster - or any big-league roster - before he's ready to hang up the cleats. The 27-year-old spent two years playing unaffiliated ball from 2022 to 2023 after being released from the Cincinnati Reds organization following the 2021 season. The Cardinals signed Torres prior to last season, and he has been a force at the plate ever since. He finished last season with a .331 average and .418 OBP and is currently carrying a .324 average with a .434 OBP through 33 games at the Triple-A level this season. Related: Cardinals-Royals Among MLB's Most Heated Rivalries Related: Cardinals Projected to be Buyers at MLB Trade Deadline
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Michigan man who fought in Ukraine: US ‘180' invigorates Russia
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A Michigan man who has spent years fighting in Ukraine says it has been difficult to watch the recent change in rhetoric. After serving with the U.S. Marines, Corey Wetherholt volunteered to fight for Ukraine just weeks after Russia's invasion in 2022. Ukrainians in West Michigan worry about diplomatic tensions 'I've spent just under two years inside of Ukraine throughout these last three years. I started off as a recon soldier, so somebody on the front line. That's what I was doing in the beginning,' he said. 'And then I transitioned to an instructor role, and I did that for about almost a year. And the last trip was about nine months long, and that was as a drone operator, as well as a FPV drone engineer, as well as a pilot. I was doing a lot of drone stuff the last nine months.' After a between President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. relations with Kyiv soured and . Zelenskyy on Tuesday and signaled he was ready to work with Trump. Wetherholt told News 8 it was 'heartbreaking' to watch the interaction. 'We asked Ukraine to be strong for three years. We funded them. And then to swing 180 within a week … to switch it up like that is just really, really strange for everybody,' he said. '… You can't expect the Ukrainians to be happy about what's going on. Negotiations or not, the rhetoric has power. The Russians are invigorated by this. They're invigorated, and it's going to have actual battlefield impact.' How did Americans view the Trump-Zelenskyy meeting? Poll shows stark divide He said the Ukrainians' way of life and identity are being threatened, and he praised their love of country. 'Their motivation, their absolute dedication to their country and their people is unmatched. I've never witnessed anything like it,' he said. According to Wetherholt, the Ukrainians are not just looking for a ceasefire — they're looking for a security guarantee and 'a just peace.' 'The big thing for Ukraine right now is to get the European partners behind them, but also continue toward self-dependency, because they know that the U.S. is not going to be there forever,' he said. 'They know that now more than ever.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
