Judge throws out a third of the charges against Allied Veterans attorney
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Florida judge has thrown out about a third of the charges against a Jacksonville attorney accused of using a veterans group as a front for a $300 million gambling operation.
Judge Kenneth Lester on Tuesday threw out more than 50 money laundering charges against Kelly Mathis. A jury will still decide whether he is guilty of about 100 other charges related to Allied Veterans of the World.
Prosecutors say Mathis helped build a network of almost 50 Internet cafes throughout Florida and that very little of the proceeds reached veterans.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}But defense attorneys say Mathis only provided legal advice to Allied Veterans.
The arrest of Mathis and 56 other defendants last May caused the Florida Legislature to ban Internet cafes.