A Florida sheriff, known locally for promoting aggressive crackdowns against street racing, has reportedly been caught in a video where he’s racing a Chevrolet Corvette while driving a Lamborghini Huracan. But the allegations go much deeper and involve claims that he may have obtained the Italian supercar via questionable means.
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno has a self-stated “zero tolerance” policy for street racing and recently warned local residents against speeding in a press release late last month — following the arrest of an 18-year-old driver who was caught doing so alongside other vehicles.
“Driving an [sic] excessive speed and putting yourself, your passengers, and others on the road at risk is an incredibly selfish decision,” he explained on social media. “My deputies will continue to patrol the roads of Lee County, ensuring drivers make smart choices or they will face the consequences.”
The department has launched several initiatives focusing on catching speeders (with a focus on street racing) and previously published videos of those actions while likewise holding press conferences. This has become increasingly common among law enforcement, with entire channels dedicated tracking the police going after people on public roads — something we’ve covered in the past.
However, the Florida Trident has released a video taken by Sheriff Marceno’s former friend and business partner showing the pair failing to adhere to the rules the department established for everyone else. In the short clip, Bonita Springs jeweler Ken Romano is driving his Corvette alongside Marceno’s Lamborghini Huracan south on the six-lane South Tamiami Trail in Estero.
The pair were already breaking the speed limit when Romano used some crude language to ask for Marceno to step on the accelerator.
From the Florida Trident:
Marceno then guns the engine and surges ahead down the highway. Romano chases after but can’t keep up with the high-performance Italian sports car, which depending on the variant sell for between $200,000 and $344,000. As Romano ends the video, a glimpse of his speedometer shows he’s going 74 mph while still well behind Marceno. The speed limit on that stretch of road is 50 mph.
An email to the sheriff’s public information office with questions about the video and an interview request for Marceno went unreturned. When reached by phone at his jewelry store, Romano refused to comment on the video.
Street racing is but a minor peccadillo compared to allegations being investigated by a federal grand jury that was sparked by Romano, who had been a close friend and gambling buddy of Marceno for years. Romano alleged he provided the sheriff more than $100,000 in gifts, including jewelry and cash for Marceno’s gambling debts.
In return he said he was given a no-work sheriff’s office consulting contract paying him $5,700 a month that included kickbacks to the sheriff’s father to make payments on a Mercedes Benz. Also under investigation, according to multiple sources, is work the sheriff had done at his home by sheriff’s office building contractors.
Marceno appears to be in his second term as Lee County Sheriff. However, if the above allegations are true, it’s looking like this may be his final stint. Unless someone else happened to be driving the Lamborghini on the day of the video, that alone undermines everything the Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) is supposed to stand for.
As previously stated, the department is infamous for taking on speeders. According to The Drive, the LCSO has shared numerous videos (including bodycam footage) from “Operation Street Takeover,” which supposedly garnered 67 traffic stops, 74 citations, and nine arrests.
Considering that the video looks to be from 2024, it’s presumably being used to further condemn Marceno while he’s already under the microscope. Rumors have also been swirling that he’s been considering running for congress and we all know that politics are about as dirty as things can get.
The department would be wise to clarify whether or not he owns the black Huracan shown in the clip and perhaps stop posting so much about how speeders are the bane of humanity if the sheriff was indeed the one behind the wheel. Otherwise this is high-test hypocrisy and the epitome of the rules-for-thee-but-not-for-me mindset citizens seriously don’t like to see from law enforcement.
Lee County is actually in the midst of confronting another public relations issue, after one of its deputies was arrested by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly trying to solicit what he thought was a 14-year-old girl online. Marceno recently claimed the arrest was part of a joint operation with the LSCO.
“The public’s trust in law enforcement is a top priority. Those that hold a badge are held to the highest standard. When that trust is violated, we will police our own and hold them accountable,” Sheriff Marceno said on Tuesday.
[Images: Florida Trident/YouTube; Lee County Sheriff’s Office]
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