Widow Calls on Florida Lawmakers to Shut Down Illegal Internet-Gambling Cafés
QUINCY, Fla. (December 9, 2025) — Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump announced that a Gadsden County jury has returned a $779,389,024.37 wrongful death verdict for the family of Lewis Butler, a security guard who was shot during an armed robbery while working at a business described by court filings as an internet café at the center of allegations of illegal gambling activity in Havana, Florida.
The case centered on allegations that the business, operated by Fortune MGT 2023 LLC and Manishkumar Patel, was negligently run and failed to take basic safety steps after a prior gunpoint robbery at the same location on Oct. 25, 2023. According to a State Attorney’s Office investigator, a firearm was stolen from the property, and that same firearm was later used in the robbery in which Butler was killed. The complaint further alleges that earlier robbery was not reported to law enforcement and that it was known to the owners and managers that gambling took place at the café.
Court filings further allege that the failure to report the first robbery and correct known security risks created a dangerous environment that culminated in a second robbery on Nov. 14, 2023, during which Butler was shot while working security and attempting to protect a cashier. The complaint states Butler died on Nov. 15, 2023
Kimberly Butler, Lewis Butler’s widow, is also calling on Florida state legislators to take action to shut down illegal internet-gambling cafés operating in communities across the state. She said businesses alleged to be operating outside the law should not be allowed to endanger workers and their communities, and she urged lawmakers to strengthen oversight and enforcement to prevent future tragedies.
State Representative Michele Rayner joined the Butler family and Attorney Crump at today’s news conference to call on her colleagues in the Florida Legislature to take immediate action against alleged illegal internet-gambling cafés and the public safety risks they can create. Rep. Rayner spoke about the need for stronger oversight and tougher penalties, and she urged lawmakers to advance the proposed “Lewis Butler Act” to help prevent other families from suffering a similar tragedy.
“Lewis Butler is a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect others,” said Attorney Ben Crump. “This verdict sends a clear message that businesses cannot ignore security risks, conceal serious crimes, and gamble with human life. The jury’s decision honors Lewis and delivers accountability for a tragedy that never should have happened.”
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Through his work, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has spearheaded a legal movement to better protect the rights of marginalized citizens. He has led landscape-changing civil rights cases and represented clients in a wide range of areas including civil rights, personal injury, labor and employment, class actions, and more. Ben Crump Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. For more information, visit bencrump.com.
