New Delhi, Nov. 27 -- A Florida casino operator at the center of a sprawling illegal gambling investigation pleaded guilty to money laundering Monday, becoming the latest insider to cooperate with prosecutors building a corruption case against suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez.

Krishna (Krishan) K. DeoKaran, 50, owner of the Eclipse Social Club in Kissimmee, entered his plea in state court and agreed to testify at future hearings and trial proceedings tied to what investigators describe as a $21.6 million illegal gambling enterprise that operated under the protection of the county's then-top law enforcement officer.

DeoKaran's plea deal marks a turning point in Florida's most prominent sheriff corruption case in decades. Pro...