Federal prosecutors and defense attorneys made their final pitches to jurors Friday in the public corruption trial of former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum and his mentor Sharon Lettman-Hicks.

Meanwhile, the 12-person jury began deliberating later that day, spending four hours behind closed doors before deciding to break for the day. Jurors will resume their deliberations at 9 a.m. Monday at the U.S. Courthouse.

Late in the afternoon, the jury asked three questions of U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor that left the lawyers and the defendants themselves trying to decipher what that might mean about a possible verdict. Jurors asked whether they can find one of the defendants guilty of fraud but not the other. Winsor replied that as stated in the jury instructions, they can find one defendant guilty and the other not guilty.

The jurors also asked when they could go home for the day; Winsor gave them the option of deliberating into the night or returning on Saturday or Monday. They also asked for a lay definition of a material fact, which Winsor said was explained in the instructions.

Earlier in the morning, the government argued that Gillum and Lettman-Hicks schemed to fleece nonprofits of campaign donations to keep the former mayor financially afloat after he was forced to step down from his longtime job for the People for the American Way Foundation in early 2017 ahead of his bid for Florida governor.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Grogan told jurors that the pair solicited donations from grantmaking organizations and used unwitting friends and associates to help them reroute the funds from campaigns to Gillum’s pockets.

• Day 1: Jury selected, possible witnesses and an appeal to raise $1M

• Day 2 opening arguments: Money as a motive or forcing the evidence?

• Day 3: How agents confronted mayor at Cascades; Adam Corey's moment

• Day 4: Why the feds delayed charging Andrew Gillum and the money trail

• Day 5: Prosecutors trace money trail from 'urgent request' for $250K

• Day 6: 'Frozen' funds and 'he's not doing this for free'

• Day 7: Campaign operatives testify they weren't aware of P&P get-out-the-vote efforts

• Day 8: Feds home in on 'Hamilton' ticket disconnect, 'abnormal' money trail

• Day 9: Prosecutors and defense rest; former mayor opts not to testify

• Decoding the indictment ABCs: Guide to the people, organizations in Andrew Gillum trial

“You have that scheme repeating itself again and again,” Grogan said. “They all have the same pattern: Get money from someone who’s going to expect minimal accountability and then … use someone that you can talk into things … or at least take you at your word.”

David Markus, one of Gillum’s attorneys, told jurors he is “innocent” and that undercover FBI agents who investigated him tried to get him to take a bribe but failed.

“Over and over and over again, Mr. Gillum demonstrates his good faith,” said Markus of Miami. “They tried to get him to cross a line and he wouldn’t … because he’s a good and honest and law-abiding man.”

Alex Morris, one of Lettman-Hicks’ lawyers, told jurors not to buy the government’s theory that she suddenly turned to a “life of crime” after years working as a political consultant.

“I submit that doesn’t make a heck of a lot of sense for a professional person,” Morris said.

After two weeks of testimony and a crush of evidence and exhibits ― from wiretapped conversations to text messages and financial documents ― the case went to the 12-person jury around 1:20 p.m. Friday.

The former Tallahassee city commissioner, mayor and 2018 Democratic nominee for governor, looked down or straight ahead as the government presented its closing arguments. He watched Markus and Morris attentively, smiling and nodding affirmatively during their closing arguments.

Gillum and Lettman-Hicks, owner of P&P Communications and the former mayor’s “political godmother,” were charged in June with one count of conspiracy and 19 counts of wire fraud. Gillum was also charged with lying to overt FBI agents about gifts he allegedly took from undercover agents in 2016 in New York.

Grogan, who flashed photos and evidence on courtroom monitors as he delivered his final remarks, said the case was both simple and complex. But he said the government met its heavy burden of putting the puzzle pieces together and proving the crimes beyond a reasonable doubt.

“We have done that,” he said.

He walked jurors through the alleged crimes, saying Gillum and Lettman-Hicks “skimmed” money off the top of donations to his gubernatorial bid and his Campaign to Defend Local Solutions, which he started as mayor to fight the gun lobby.

In all, the two allegedly raided $50,000 from the CDLS, another $60,000 from get-out-the-vote efforts and $132,000 of a $250,000 donation from billionaire donor Donald Sussman.

According to prosecutors, they used the nonprofit New World Foundation, the Foundation to Promote Open Society and the Opportunity to Learn Action Fund to help move the money, though none were aware of the alleged nefariousness.

Both Markus and Morris asserted that no one from the nonprofits complained about how their money was used or pursued lawsuits because contract terms weren’t followed. They also tried to paint one of the case agents, retired FBI special agent Michael Wiederspahn, as biased and unwilling to look at evidence that could prove their innocence.

“Who’s complaining?” Markus asked. “Mr. Wiederspahn is the only one complaining.”

Check back with Tallahassee.com for more on this story.

Email Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Andrew Gillum trial verdict watch after closing arguments