Amit Patel, the former Jacksonville Jaguars employee who stole $22 million from the team, was sentenced in U.S. District Court on Tuesday to 6 1/2 years in prison.
Patel, a former employee in the finance department for the Jaguars, pleaded guilty in December 2023 to charges of wire fraud and an illegal monetary transaction. Patel stole from the Jaguars over a four-year period by creating fraudulent charges on the club’s virtual credit card and then covering his tracks by sending falsified files to the team’s accounting department.
According to the government’s case, Patel, 31, used that money to buy a luxury vehicle, a condominium, a designer watch worth over $95,000 and over $200,000 on golf memorabilia, including over $47,000 for Tiger Woods’ 1996 U.S. Amateur Champion Scotty Cameron gifted putter. He also purchased cryptocurrency, splurged on luxury travel for himself and others and used the funds to retain a criminal defense lawyer, who represented him in court on Tuesday.
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Patel’s attorney, Alex King, previously told The Athletic that the vast majority of the $22 million he stole were gambling losses; Patel placed bets on football and daily fantasy sports with online gambling sites.
Patel said his fraud was fueled by his gambling addiction and that he chased losses until those losses “snowballed” beyond his control.
“I stand before you embarrassed, ashamed and disappointed by my actions,” Patel said, addressing the court, describing how he scuttled his “dream job” and future professional prospects. “Due to my poor decisions, I ruined those opportunities.”
Attorneys for the government and Patel debated the sophistication of the scheme and its impact on his sentencing. Patel’s attorney said the fraud was “non-noteworthy” in its complexity and intricacy. The government argued that the totality of the fraud, including the significant monetary amount of losses and the number and variety of steps Patel took to conceal his conduct, demonstrate the sophistication of the scheme.
“This is complex. This is sophisticated. And it served to hide the hundreds of fraudulent transactions he engaged in,” assistant U.S. attorney Michael J. Coolican said.
Coolican, in arguing for a seven-year sentence for Patel, described Patel’s crime as one “driven principally by greed.”
“He’s living it up. He’s having fun. No money going to charity. No money going to good works,” Coolican said. “And the spending didn’t stop when he got fired.”
Coolican said after Patel was terminated by the Jaguars he continued spending lavishly on country club expenditures, including golf and spa services. (According to a recent court filing, Patel purchased a $2,200 “game issued” Trevor Lawrence jersey on eBay approximately one week before pleading guilty to the wire fraud and illegal monetary transaction charges.)
Megha Parekh, chief legal officer for the Jacksonville Jaguars, said the organization would’ve helped him had he come to the team for help in treating his addiction. Parekh described Patel’s action as a “mess” the team was forced to endure that diverted time and financial resources away from current employees/
“He was our teammate and he betrayed us,” Parekh said.
King, Patel’s attorney, argued for probation on behalf of his client, describing him as an addict who dug a hole for himself that eventually became insurmountable but has since committed to his recovery.
Patel’s older brother, one of roughly two dozen friends and family members in court to support him, described Amit as someone who excelled academically and socially in high school but began to struggle with alcohol abuse and a gambling addiction in college. His brother said he expects Amit to make positive contributions to the community, citing his commitment to his rehabilitation, which includes creating a local support group for gambling addiction. Patel’s uncle, former high school teacher and girlfriend also provided character witness statements on his behalf.
“Sometimes good people do bad things but this does not mean they are evil,” his girlfriend said, telling the judge that Patel is a good person who has taken responsibility for his actions.
Patel was ordered to pay over $21 million in restitution to the Jaguars.
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(Photo: Roy K. Miller / Getty Images)
