Exonerated Lawyer Surfaces in Osceola Sheriff Lopez Gambling Case
Posted on: September 3, 2025, 08:26h.
Last updated on: September 3, 2025, 09:49h.
- Exonerated lawyer Kelly Mathis linked to new Florida gambling investigation.
- Mathis represented a client tied to Sheriff Marcos Lopez’s alleged gambling ring
The lawyer of an accused co-conspirator in a sprawling unlawful gambling case involving Osceola County Sheriff Marcos R. Lopez was once wrongfully convicted of racketeering and illegal gambling.
Kelly Mathis was sentenced to six years in prison in 2013 on one count of racketeering, 51 counts of conducting an illegal lottery, and 51 counts of possessing illegal slot machines in relation to the operations of Allied Veterans of the World, a chain of sweepstakes cafes that donated a portion of its profits to veterans’ causes.
He was exonerated three years later after an appellate court ruled — among other things — that prosecutors had failed to present evidence at trial that he was acting as anything but a lawyer for Allied Veterans.
Sheriff Arrested
Now local NBC affiliate WESH has discovered that Mathis is an attorney for Krishna “Kris” Deokaran, whom state prosecutors have publicly identified as the owner of the Eclipse Social Club. Authorities claim the business in Kissimmee, Fla., housed illegal slot machines and ran an illicit lottery under the guise of a legitimate arcade.
Police arrested Sheriff Lopez, 56, on June 5 on charges of racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering. He is accused of playing a “multifaceted role” in protecting and expanding an underground gambling operation centered around the Eclipse club that generated more than $21 million in profits.
Deokoran hasn’t been charged with a crime, and there is no indication that Mathis is acting as anything but his lawyer. The attorney’s name is listed as the “registered agent” of the club, a common legal designation for attorneys and not in itself evidence of wrongdoing.
Mathis’s appearance at an April 2024 Lake County Commission meeting has taken on new weight in light of the Lopez investigation, according to WESH. At the hearing, he urged commissioners to maintain the county’s oversight ordinance for game rooms, arguing that none had faced prosecution and that the rules provided needed structure.
Mathis’ comments suggest he was publicly advancing policy arguments with implications for his client’s business while serving as Deokaran’s attorney.
‘Malicious Prosecution’
The Allied Veterans case was high-profile at the time because it led to the resignation of Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll (R) over her links to the business, although she wasn’t accused of any crime. Her PR firm had worked for Allied Veterans, and she had appeared in one of its TV spots, extolling its work for veterans’ charities.
In a 2019 federal lawsuit brought by Mathis against the state of Florida for malicious prosecution, the attorney stated it was his legal opinion that Allied Veterans was a legitimate business – something he continued to believe.
The $50 million lawsuit claimed that former Seminole County Sheriff Don Eslinger held a vendetta against Mathis because he had successfully defended several sweepstakes café owners against the Sheriff’s Office’s attempts to shut them down and seize their assets.
The case was ultimately dismissed on immunity grounds, a decision upheld on appeal.
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