Jaguars: Former Employee Faces Federal Fraud Charges After Stealing Millions from Team
The attorney for a former Jacksonville Jaguars employee facing federal fraud charges reveals that his client attributes the alleged theft of over $22 million from the franchise to a gambling addiction. Rob Carr/Getty Images

Amit Patel, the ex-financial planning manager for the Jacksonville Jaguars, is set to plead guilty to charges of wire fraud and making illegal transactions, confessing to embezzling over $22 million from the NFL franchise, according to News 4 JAX.

Patel's lawyer disclosed in a news release on Thursday that the stolen funds were predominantly squandered on sports gambling.

The attorney revealed the ex-Jaguars employee's decision to plead guilty and highlighted that the accused had sought treatment for his gambling addiction by checking into a rehabilitation center earlier this spring.

Patel's gambling activities first came under scrutiny when he met with NFL officials in February during an investigation into his involvement in daily fantasy sports betting on platforms such as DraftKings and FanDuel.

The ex-Jaguars employee who worked as a financial planning manager was terminated from his position later that month after it was discovered that he had utilized Jaguars' funds to fuel his gambling addiction.

The attorney asserted that a significant portion, approximately 99%, of the misappropriated money was used to cover Patel's gambling losses, with the hope of replenishing the funds through winnings and making amends with the Jaguars.

Amit Patel's Alleged Shopping Spree with Stolen Funds from Jaguar Raises Eyebrows

Court filings accuse Patel of an audacious theft involving the misappropriation of millions from the Jaguars between 2018 and 2023.

The embezzled funds were purportedly utilized to purchase luxury items, including two cars, a condominium, a $95,000 watch, a country club membership, and even investments in non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

The alleged spending spree raises questions about the extent of financial mismanagement within the franchise.

Adding a bizarre twist to the narrative, online golf personality Chris Chaney claims to have encountered Patel-accused of the massive fraud-while riding in an Uber in the Jacksonville area, Golf Digest noted.

Chaney even shared an Uber receipt displaying the driver's name as "Amit" and noted that Patel was driving a Tesla Model 3, one of the cars supposedly bought with the embezzled funds.

Patel's Denial and Legal Proceedings

Despite the damning allegations, Patel's defense contends that he did not use the Jaguars' virtual credit card (VCC) to finance a lavish lifestyle, per ESPN.

Instead, Patel's lawyer, Tim King, suggests that the funds were wrongly employed in an attempt to repay prior gambling losses.

The NFL's strict gambling policy prohibits employees from engaging in sports betting or participating in daily fantasy sports.

An NFL spokesperson clarified that a review found no evidence of insider information use or compromised games related to Patel's actions.

The court filing contends that Patel, as the sole administrator of the Jaguars' VCC program, manipulated the electronic ledger to siphon funds for personal use.

Patel, expressing remorse, has waived the indictment and is scheduled for a plea hearing on December 14 in Jacksonville.

King emphasized Patel's regret, acknowledging the damage inflicted on the organization and Patel's personal and professional life.

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Written by: Bert Hoover

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