Erin Hill
Gadsden County News ServiceThe widow of a security guard killed during a 2023 armed robbery at a Havana internet café is calling on Florida lawmakers to crack down on alleged illegal gambling operations after a Gadsden County jury awarded her family a $779,389,024.37 wrongful death verdict.
The verdict, returned this week, stems from the killing of Lewis Butler, who was shot while working security at a business described in court filings as an internet café operated by Fortune MGT 2023 LLC and Manishkumar Patel. According to the complaint, the business failed to report a prior gunpoint robbery on Oct. 25, 2023, during which a firearm was stolen. Investigators later found that the stolen gun was used in the Nov. 14, 2023 robbery that left Butler mortally wounded. He died the next day.
Court filings allege the café was known by its owners and managers to be a site of illegal gambling activity and that they failed to implement basic security measures after the earlier robbery.
At a news conference Monday, Butler’s widow, Kimberly Butler, urged the Florida Legislature to take action to prevent similar tragedies. She called for stronger oversight, increased penalties, and the closure of establishments alleged to be operating outside state law.
State Rep. Michele Rayner joined the family and civil rights attorney Ben Crump, urging lawmakers to advance the proposed Lewis Butler Act, which would target illegal internet-gambling cafés and enhance public safety requirements.
Crump said the jury’s decision reflects the scale of the loss. “This verdict sends a clear message that businesses cannot ignore security risks, conceal serious crimes, and gamble with human life,” he said. On social media, he added that the verdict “honors a life lost while protecting others” and called the tragedy preventable.
The wrongful death verdict comes as the criminal case tied to Butler’s killing continues moving through the courts.
Ty’rone Washington was convicted of first-degree murder for the shooting, with jurors finding he opened fire during an attempted robbery with co-defendant Kelvin Brown. Evidence presented at trial showed Butler intervened to protect a cashier, pushing the clerk out of the line of fire before he was shot.
Washington was sentenced last week to life in prison without the possibility of parole for Butler’s killing. Brown is expected to stand trial at a later date.
Crump said he and the Butler family will continue urging lawmakers and the Florida Gaming Control Commission to address what they describe as a statewide public safety threat. “We’re calling on Florida lawmakers…to shut down these illegal gambling cafés before any more families lose their loved ones,” he stated.
Kimberly Butler said she hopes her husband’s death leads to meaningful reforms. “Businesses alleged to be operating outside the law should not be allowed to endanger workers and their communities,” she said.
