Current:Home > InvestEx-Jaguars employee who stole $22 million from team sentenced to 6½ years in prison -EverVision Finance
Ex-Jaguars employee who stole $22 million from team sentenced to 6½ years in prison
View
Date:2025-04-18 10:43:36
A former Jacksonville Jaguars employee who pleaded guilty to stealing $22 million from the team has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida announced Tuesday.
Amit Patel, who racked up millions of dollars in fraudulent charges while serving as the administrator for the Jaguars’ virtual credit card program from September 2019 to February 2023, was also ordered to pay the Jaguars $21.1 million in restitution and attend Gamblers Anonymous meetings.
Patel, 31, faced up to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty in December to wire fraud and engaging in an illegal monetary transaction.
“Today, the IRS intercepted Patel’s playbook and achieved justice for the American public," IRS-CI Acting Special Agent in Charge Lani Rosado-Espinal said in a statement. "Patel deceived the Jacksonville Jaguars and used his position of trust to steal from the team, gamble on games and fund a lavish lifestyle.”
DETAILS:Feds detail ex-Jaguars employee Amit Patel's spending on 'life of luxury'
All things Jaguars: Latest Jacksonville Jaguars news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.
Court documents said Patel operated a fraud scheme and embezzled more than $22 million from the Jaguars. He transferred $20 million to FanDuel, $1 million to DraftKings and used more than $5 million to fund his "life of luxury," including spending over $200,000 for golf memorabilia (he paid $47,113.92 for Tiger Woods' 1996 putter), $78,800 in private jets, and $278,000 for hotels, rental properties, and travel. He also spent $95,000 on a single wristwatch and continued to spend cash after his firing, purchasing a game-used Trevor Lawrence jersey for $2,200 on eBay.
To hide his illicit transactions, prosecutors said Patel "created accounting files that contained numerous false and fraudulent entries and emailed them to the Jaguars' accounting department."
"I stand before you embarrassed, shamed, and disappointed by my actions," Patel said during the sentencing hearing, according to ESPN. "I can never truly convey how sorry I am to everyone affected by my actions."
During the hearing, Megha Parekh, senior vice president and chief legal officer for the Jaguars, said Patel "betrayed us."
"We gave him his dream job. We trusted him. We worked with him. We broke bread with him. We went through a pandemic and the highs and lows of the NFL with him," Parekh said, according to ESPN. "We take no joy in his punishment. Make no mistake, Amit broke our hearts."
In December, Patel's attorney, Alex King, said his client "suffers from a serious gambling addiction" and approximately 99% of the misappropriated funds from the Jaguars' virtual credit card program were gambling losses.
Contributing: Scooby Axson, Tom Schad
veryGood! (637)
Related
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- Watch: Livestream shows scene of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key bridge after collapse
- New York City to send 800 more officers to police subway fare-beating
- Is Ames Department Stores coming back? Previous online speculation fell flat
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- Trump is selling ‘God Bless the USA’ Bibles for $59.99 as he faces mounting legal bills
- Oliver Hudson Details Childhood Trauma From Mom Goldie Hawn Living Her Life
- Who is Francis Scott Key? What to know about the namesake of collapsed Baltimore bridge
- Louvre will undergo expansion and restoration project, Macron says
- Raptors' Jontay Porter under NBA investigation for betting irregularities
Ranking
- California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- Watch: Livestream shows scene of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key bridge after collapse
- Uber offering car seats for kids: Ride-share giant launches new program in 2 US cities
- Solar eclipse glasses from Warby Parker available for free next week: How to get a pair
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- You Season 5: You'll Kill to See Penn Badgley's Return to New York in First Look Photo
- Solar eclipse glasses from Warby Parker available for free next week: How to get a pair
- A school bus company where a noose was found is ending its contract with St. Louis Public Schools
Recommendation
Brianna LaPaglia Reveals The Meaning Behind Her "Chickenfry" Nickname
Beyond ‘yellow flag’ law, Maine commission highlights another missed opportunity before shootings
Baltimore's Key Bridge is not the first: A look at other bridge collapse events in US history
Carnival cruise ship catches fire for the second time in 2 years
'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
Bill that would have placed the question of abortion access before Louisiana voters fails
8-year-old girl found dead in Houston hotel pool pipe; autopsy, investigation underway
'Yellowstone' actor claims he was kicked off plane after refusing to sit next to masked passenger