A jury in Orange County, Florida decreed that a businessman and former casino hall operator, engaged in racketeering activities during the mid-90's through his bingo operations. The civil verdict also established that defendant Philip Furtney's former corporation, Pondella Hall for Hire Inc., earned $710,686 through racketeering activities. Although Furtney's other two former corporations were also found to have engaged in racketeering operations, it is not known to what extent the corporations profited financially from these activities.

The Florida Attorney General's Office filed the complaint against Furtney and his no longer operating corporations, arguing that they conducted illegal activities, including filtering out money intended for charities.

Furtney was first arrested in 1996 in Montana on similar charges. In the previous verdict of 1999, however, Furtney and his corporations were found innocent of the 40 criminal charges on which he was held.

This time around Furtney is planning to repeal the verdict. One of the defense attorneys on the case claimed that Furtney and his corporations became targets for legal action because their success upset authorities.