Internet Cafe Jacksonville FL

WE ARE LIVE TONIGHT. CHANNEL 4, THE LOCAL STATION. A LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR AFTER STATE INVESTIGATORS FIRST SHUT DOWN INTERNET CAFES AROUND FLORIDA, THEY HAVE NOW CARRIED OUT NEW RAIDS. A LOCAL OPERATOR WAS ONE OF THEIR TARGETS. PETE MILLER OF NEPTUNE BEACH OWE THIS IS CAFE, PEAT'S RETREAT ON THE WEST SIDE AND SEVERAL OTHERS. THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVES SEARCH WARRANT AT MILLER'S CAFE AND INTERNET CAFES OWNED BY A CENTRAL FLORIDA MAN. THEY HELD NEWS CONFERENCE THIS AFTERNOON TO EXPLAIN THE RAIDS. KENT JUSTICE JOINING NEWS NORTHWEST JACKSONVILLE OUT SIDE ONE OF THE SEVEN LOCAL PLACES RAID AND CLOSED. KEN? Reporter: FROM WHAT I AM TOLD THESE WOULD BE NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS, BUT INSTEAD DOORS FIRMLY CLOSED. THIS PLACE IS SHUT DOWN EVEN WITH THE SIGNS THAT SAY OPEN RIGHT NOW. THE DIRECT RESULT OF STATE AGENTS RAIDING THIS LOCATION AND SHUTTING IT DOWN EARLIER TODAY. THE GOLD MINE IS ONE OF THE BUSINESSES SHUT DOWN AND INVESTIGATED FOR ILLEGAL GAMING. IT IS THE ONLY INTERNET CAFE IN JACKSONVILLE NOT NAMED PETE'S RETREAT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT RAIDED THURSDAY. FDLE ALSO WENT TO THE PETE'S RETREAT IN LAKE CITY FOR THE SAME REASONS. THE STATE NEWS CONFERENCE, PETE MILLER WAS NAMED AS ONE OF TWO BUSINESS OWNERS TARGETED BY AGENTS. IS IT CONDUCTING A SLOT MACHINE TYPE OF GAME OR MACHINE TYPE OF GAME OR CONDUCTING A SWEEPSTAKES TYPE OF GAME? Reporter: REPRESENTS KELLY MATHIS, THE JACKSONVILLE LAWYER CONVICTED IN LAST YEAR'S INTERNET CAFE STING. THAT THINKS FACES SIX YEARS IN PRISON PENDING STONE'S APPEAL. STONE SAYS THE PROBLEM REMAINS. IT IS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS LEGAL AND WHAT'S NOT. THE WAY THE STATE IS ANALYZING THIS IS WHAT THE CUSTOMER DOES WITH THE PRODUCT DICTATES WHETHER IT IS GAMBLING OR WHETHER IT IS A GAME PROMOTION SWEEPS STAKES. THIS IS ILLEGAL. WE ARE NOT DONE. ALLIED VETERANS WASN'T THE ONLY CASE WE WERE LOOKING INTO PROSECUTING. IT IS ILLEGAL. IT VIOLATES FLORIDA LAW. Reporter: STONE SAYS HIS CLIENT ALWAYS BELIEVED HE WAS OPERATING WITHIN THE LAW. OWNERS OF THESE NEW BUSINESSES LIKE THE GOLD MINE AND PETE'S RETREAT MAY BELIEVE THAT AS RETREAT MAY BELIEVE THAT AS WELL. MY UNDERSTANDING OF THESE PARTICULAR MACHINES ARE THAT IT WAS A PREREVEAL MACHINE THAT...