In a stunning turn, Ken Romano has requested that his ethics complaint against Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno alleging undisclosed gifts and unlawful kickbacks be withdrawn, the Florida Trident has learned.
“I am requesting this withdrawal for good cause, as the stress of this administrative process has severely impacted my health and exacerbated a diagnosed medical condition (PTSD),” Romano wrote in a notarized missive to the Florida Ethics Commission on July 30. “I am unable to participate further in this matter.”
Romano’s bow out, however, doesn’t mean the investigation is automatically dead. Under state law, Romano must have “good cause” to rescind the complaint, which depends on its legal sufficiency, the stage of the investigation, and the reason given for withdrawal. If the commission determines that wasn’t met, it can simply continue the case on its own.
The request to withdraw came after months of the commission investigating Romano’s allegations. On June 5, state ethics investigator Ronald Moalli was granted a 60-day extension of the investigation beyond the 150-day statutory limit. Romano sent the withdrawal letter to the commission 55 days later, indicating the investigation was very close to completion, if not already finished.
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- In undercover FBI audio, Sheriff Marceno tells former cohort he has 'his back' regarding alleged kickback payments
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- Witness in Sheriff Marceno probe raises alarm federal case may ‘go away’
The case was scheduled to be heard by the ethics commission in a closed-door probable cause hearing this past Friday (along with another ethics complaint filed against Marceno by former Lee County sheriff’s commander James Bogliole). Decisions made by the board during that meeting will be made public on Wednesday. The investigations will become a matter of public record regardless of any commission ruling.
Romano, a former close friend of the sheriff, declined to comment further on the investigation except to say he has not received notification the investigation was closed by the commission.
Romano’s attempt to withdraw his complaint is only the latest twist in the case involving allegations he provided Marceno six figures in unreported cash and gifts during their friendship, including covering the sheriff’s gambling losses. Romano provided receipts for a $9,035 piano and $2,377 in furniture (only the latter fell under the statute of limits for the case).
He also alleged Marceno provided him with a $5,700-per-month consulting contract with the sheriff’s office that involved payments of $1,700 a month to the sheriff’s father for payments on a Mercedes Benz. The case was originally investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and went to a grand jury before it was closed under murky circumstances. Marceno did not respond to a request for comment about Romano’s withdrawal request or the Bogliole-related investigation.
About the Author: Bob Norman is a senior editor for the Florida Trident. His work as an investigative reporter has won dozens of awards and led to criminal charges and the removal of several corrupt public officials. He can be reached at norman@flcga.org. The Florida Trident is an investigative news outlet focusing on government accountability and transparency across Florida. The Trident was created and first published in 2022 by non-profit investigative, a non-profit organization that facilitates local investigative reporting across the state.
