Veterans Group Sues Florida City Over Online Gaming Raid

In a recent report in the Orlando Sentinel newspaper in Florida USA the Allied Veterans of the World Inc. & Affiliates announced they are launching a law suit against the city of Longwood. Raids by police on the Internet cafe premises operated by the group resulted in the café being shut down. The law suit is seeking an injunction prohibiting the city from interfering with the gaming centre, and monetary restitution for funds that have been lost since the closure. The internet café was offering sweepstakes action operating within the law in Florida claiming that the sweepstakes were just like the prizes offered by fast food outlets in the state. The Allied Veterans of the World Inc. & Affiliates, headquartered in Jacksonville Florida, claims that Longwood police and Seminole County deputy sheriffs actions were uncalled for and excessive last summer. Forest City operations were also a target of the police but were reopened almost immediately. The Longwood location has remained offline since the raids. Obviously knowing that their allegations were suspect the city officials and police from Longwood took the liberty of threatening the landlord of the establishment GS Realty Inc., with criminal prosecution if it did not comply with the request to lock out the Veterans group. The newspaper confirmed this after speaking with Longwood police Sgt. Richard Griffin. A judge last October ordered some items that were wrongly seized to be returned proving that the police actions were excessive and beyond the search warrant limits. Kelly Mathis an attorney for the Allied Veterans of the World Inc. & Affiliates said that more seized equipment was returned a day after the lawsuit was filed on February 2nd 2010. In another attempt to keep the shop closed the city of Longwood did not renew the group's business license. It is interesting to note that all police departments in Florida do not share the same point of view. The Volusia County Sheriff's Office, has taken the position that the centres are operating totally within the law.