Jacksonville, FL – A former financial manager for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Amit Patel, has been accused of embezzling more than $22 million from the franchise.
The alleged fraudulent activity, spanning from 2019 to 2023, was conducted through the team’s virtual credit card program, as stated in a seven-page court filing in the U.S. District Court in Jacksonville.
Patel, employed by the Jaguars from 2018, faces charges of wire fraud and illegal monetary transactions. If convicted, he may be required to forfeit property and assets acquired with the embezzled funds.
The Jaguars, confirming their role as the victim in this case, stated, “We terminated the employment of the individual in February 2023. Over the past several months, we have fully cooperated with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida during their investigation.”
The accused allegedly used the stolen funds to purchase extravagant items, including two vehicles, a condominium, and a designer watch worth over $95,000. A portion of the money was also reportedly used for purchasing cryptocurrency and online gambling.
Patel’s responsibilities included overseeing the Jacksonville Jaguars’ monthly financial statements, department budgets, and the virtual credit card (VCC) program. The court documents allege that he began making fraudulent transactions in September 2019, concealing these by duplicating or inflating legitimate transactions and fabricating plausible, but fictitious, transactions.
Patel’s attorney, Alex King, stated that his client plans to plead guilty. King highlighted Patel’s gambling addiction as the driving force behind his actions, stating, “Almost the entirety of the funds Mr. Patel used were spent on gambling websites. He was attempting to win money back, with the anticipation to repay the funds and make the Jaguars whole.”
King contested the notion of an extravagant lifestyle funded by the embezzled money, claiming that most purchases, including the Tesla Model 3, were made with family money and other earnings.
“Mr. Patel’s gambling addiction was compulsive, driven by an uncontrollable urge to keep gambling despite the toll it took on his life,” King added.
A court date for Patel has not been set, but his intention to “take full responsibility” has been made clear by King.
