Ex-Jaguars employee sentenced after pleading guilty to stealing $22M from team

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A former employee of the Jacksonville Jaguars who pleaded guilty to stealing more than $22 million from the NFL team was sentenced to 6½ years in prison on Tuesday.

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According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, Amit Patel, 31, of Jacksonville, was sentenced for committing wire fraud and engaging in an illegal monetary transaction.

U.S. District Judge Henry Lee Adams Jr. also ordered Patel to pay the Jaguars $22,221,454.40 million in restitution and attend Gamblers Anonymous meetings, ESPN reported.

Patel pleaded guilty on Dec. 14, 2023, prosecutors said. He has three months to surrender to U.S. Marshals, according to WJAX-TV.

According to the Jaguars media guide, Patel was manager for finance planning and analysis.

According to the television station, Patel used a Jaguars virtual credit card account in his name over the past three years to spend millions on sports betting, tens of thousands of dollars on golf memorabilia at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, and chartering a private jet.

According to court documents, Patel transferred approximately $20 million to FanDuel and $1 million to DraftKings, ESPN reported. He used the remaining cash on other items, including nearly $600,000 at Apple and more than $40,000 combined at Amazon and Best Buy.

The NFL’s gambling policy prohibits club and league employees from gambling on any sport, and from participating in daily fantasy sports, ESPN reported.

Prosecutors said that Patel also bought a condominium in Ponte Vedra Beach, purchased a Tesla Model 3 sedan and a Nissan pickup truck, and bought cryptocurrency, home furnishings and luxury watches. Patel did not report any of the illicit income on his taxes, according to the news release.

The alleged fraud began in September 2019 and continued until the Jaguars fired Patel in February 2023, prosecutors said.

“I stand before you embarrassed, ashamed, and disappointed by my actions,” Patel said during the hearing, according to WJAX. “When I was employed by the Jags, I was overjoyed. It was my dream job ... I’m still in disbelief that I violated my coworkers’ trust in me.

“I can never truly convey how sorry I am to everyone affected by my actions.”

Megha Parekh, the Jaguars’ senior vice president and chief legal officer, read a statement on behalf of the team, WJAX reported.

“We gave him his dream job. We trusted him. We worked with him. We broke bread with him,” Parekh said. “We went through a pandemic and the highs and lows of the NFL with him. He betrayed us.

“We take no joy in his punishment. Make no mistake, Amit broke our hearts.”

“We’re pleased with today’s results and we remain committed to investigating those who would seek to defraud the public and our business community,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Coolican said.

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