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Allied Veterans trial winds down

SANFORD, Fla. — The trial of a Jacksonville attorney charged with using a veterans group to help build a network of storefront casinos throughout Florida is winding down.
 
Prosecutors and defense attorneys on Monday haggled over jury instructions at attorney Kelly Mathis' trial in Sanford.
 
Mathis is charged with more than 100 counts of illegal gambling and possessing slot machines. He is pleading not guilty, claiming he gave legal advice to the Allied Veterans of the World affiliates.
 
His attorneys also say the network of Internet cafes were legal.
 
The arrest of Mathis and 56 other defendants earlier this year caused the Florida Legislature to ban Internet cafes and led to the resignation of Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll.
 
Carroll had worked as a consultant for Allied Veterans. She wasn't charged with any crime.