* A Florida jury has issued a verdict topping $779 million in the wrongful death case of Lewis Butler, delivering a sweeping legal win led by Attorney Ben Crump. The outcome arrives nearly a year after Butler, who served as a security guard, was fatally shot during an armed robbery at a Havana business described in court documents as an internet café tied to allegations of illegal gambling.
Per Crump’s news release, the lawsuit alleged that Fortune MGT 2023 LLC and Manishkumar Patel operated the establishment without taking reasonable steps to protect workers or customers. Court filings state that an earlier armed robbery occurred on Oct. 25, 2023, during which a firearm was stolen. Investigators later found that the same gun was used in the incident that resulted in Butler’s death. The complaint also asserts that the first robbery went unreported and that the owners and managers were aware that gambling activity was occurring at the site.
According to the filings, the lack of reporting and a failure to correct known security hazards created conditions that allowed a second robbery to unfold on Nov. 14, 2023. Butler was shot while trying to shield a cashier during the attack and died the following day. Attorneys argued that the risks were foreseeable and preventable, and the jury ultimately agreed…