As Lee County awaits a decision by the federal grand jury on whether to indict Sheriff Carmine Marceno, speculation in law enforcement and political circles has centered on who will replace him if he’s removed from office.
Should Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis take that step, sources with knowledge of the investigation say two potential appointees appear to be at the top of the pecking order: North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison and Florida Department of Law Enforcement Deputy Commissioner Matt Walsh.
Both are former Lee County deputies.
Garrison retired from LCSO in 2018 as a major after 24 years at the agency to become police chief in nearby North Port, where he continues to serve as the town’s top cop. When reached by phone, Garrison said he’s aware many at LCSO are “bracing for change,” and while he knows his name has been mentioned in the political “chatter” about a possible replacement for Marceno, he has no idea what’s going on behind the scenes.
“I’ve not been approached by anybody officially or by the governor or by anyone from governor’s office to say I have been vetted for the position,” said Garrison.
The Tallahassee-based Walsh started at LCSO as a rookie before leaving to join FDLE in 2003. As a top official at FDLE, Walsh is a well known entity to the governor — in fact, DeSantis appointed Walsh to serve as interim sheriff in tiny Clay County in 2020 after the sitting sheriff, Darryl Daniels, was arrested on charges of destroying evidence and lying to law enforcement. Walsh served in the position for two months (and Daniels was ultimately found not guilty at trial).
A detailed message from the Florida Trident left with Walsh’s FDLE office went unreturned, and the governor’s office had not responded to an emailed request for comment from DeSantis prior to publication.
DeSantis, who has suspended more elected officials than any governor in recent memory, has broad powers to remove county officers like Marceno for causes including malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, drunkenness, incompetence, permanent inability to perform official duties, and commission of a felony.
The grand jury, which is seated in Orange County, has been hearing evidence in an FBI investigation that involves allegations Marceno received kickbacks from a consulting contract with Bonita Springs jeweler Ken Romano. The grand jury began meeting last week and is expected to wrap up imminently.
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 journalism@flcga.org.