Alleged Embezzlement Scandal: Ex-Jaguars Employee Accused of Pilfering $22 Million for Lavish Living
Former Jacksonville Jaguars employee allegedly embezzles $22 million from NFL team to finance extravagant lifestyle, as per court documents filed in US District Court this week
A previous Jacksonville Jaguars staff member is facing allegations of embezzling over $22 million from the NFL team in order to finance a luxurious lifestyle, as stated in court documents submitted in US District Court. The filings reveal that Amit Patel utilized the funds for online gambling, personal travel and accommodations, sporting event tickets, acquiring a Tesla and Nissan pickup truck, investing in cryptocurrency, and purchasing property in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
He also purchased a Patek Philippe Nautilus watch valued at over $95,000 using funds obtained from his fraudulent activities. Court documents allege that Patel committed wire fraud and illegal monetary transactions, siphoning off millions of dollars through the virtual credit card (VCC) system over a span of four years.
Patel has been accused of embezzling money from a company known as "Business A," but the Jaguars have informed CNN Sport that they had hired Patel and were the target of his alleged illegal activities.
"We can verify that the team dismissed the person mentioned in the complaint in February 2023," the team stated in a message sent to CNN.
In recent months, we have worked closely with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida as they conducted their investigation. We appreciate their diligent efforts in this case.
As indicated in the charges, the individual in question was a former manager of financial planning and analysis who abused his trusted position to secretly and deliberately carry out extensive fraudulent financial activities for his own personal gain at the expense of the team.
This person did not have access to any confidential football strategy, personnel, or other football-related information.
The team hired experienced law and accounting firms to conduct a thorough independent review, which determined that no other team employees were implicated in or knew about his criminal behavior.
CNN has contacted Patel's legal team for a statement.
According to the document, Patel was the only administrator for the Jaguars VCC system. A VCC system operates like a standard credit card account, but does not have a physical card.
Between September 2019 and February 2023, Patel allegedly devised a sophisticated plan to embezzle money without being caught. Court documents state that as an example, he would disguise his fraudulent VCC transactions by replicating legitimate recurring transactions such as catering, airfare, and hotel charges.
"He inflated the amount of valid reoccurring VCC transactions, entered fictitious transactions that sounded plausible but never actually happened, and moved legitimate VCC charges from upcoming months into the integration file for the immediate accounting department deadline."
Patel has waived his right to an indictment, and the case will proceed based on the sworn information filed by federal prosecutors.
