Overview
- A Gadsden County jury awarded $779,389,024.37 against Fortune MGT 2023 LLC and owner Manishkumar Patel over the 2023 killing of Lewis Butler in Havana.
- Butler, a security guard, was shot eight times while shielding a cashier during an attempted robbery at the café.
- A State Attorney’s Office investigator testified the gun used in the killing had been stolen during an October robbery at the site, supporting plaintiffs’ claims that earlier crimes were not properly addressed.
- In the related criminal case, jurors previously convicted Kevontae Washington of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree felony murder, and attempted armed robbery.
- Attorney Ben Crump said his team will pursue garnishments and liens to collect the judgment, while supporters promote a proposed “Lewis Butler Act” to strengthen oversight of internet-gambling cafés.