Sports
Ex-NFL Staffer Sentenced for $22M Theft From Team
Clear Facts
- Amit Patel, a former Jacksonville Jaguars employee, has been sentenced to 78 months in prison for a fraud scheme that stole over $22 million from the NFL team.
- The fraud involved misuse of the team’s virtual credit card program, and included wire fraud and illegal money transactions.
- Despite Patel having returned $1.89 million, he still owes over $21 million in restitution, a sum unlikely to be repaid due to his felony conviction.
Amit Patel, the ex-staffer of the Jacksonville Jaguars, has been handed a 78-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to a large-scale fraud operation. This operation drained more than $22 million from the NFL team.
Patel, 31, was handed his sentence in a Jacksonville federal courtroom. He was previously responsible for managing the team’s finances. Patel confessed in December to a crime that involved the misuse of the team’s virtual credit card program, as well as wire fraud and illegal money transactions.
Judge Henry Lee Adams Jr. delivered the sentence, which also includes three years of supervised release after imprisonment. Patel showed no visible reaction to the sentence. The court was informed that Patel had returned $1.89 million but still owed over $21 million in restitution. The judge noted that due to the felony conviction, it’s unlikely Patel will ever be able to repay this sum.
Despite Patel’s defense team pleading for a reduced sentence of no more than 60 months, prosecutors highlighted the complexity of Patel’s fraud. The scheme reportedly went unnoticed for over three years and involved hundreds of false transactions.
Assistant U.S. attorney Michael J. Coolican stated,
“If he can steal $22 million and get probation, he’s going to do it again. He’s a smart guy and will find a way. … If it’s reported tonight you can steal $22 million and get a low-ball sentence, a slap on the wrist, you better watch out.”
Megha Parekh, the Chief legal official for the Jaguars, expressed a desire for the organization to move forward and forgive, while also acknowledging the emotional toll of the betrayal.
“Speaking on behalf of the Jaguars, do know that we want to move on and forgive, not just Amit, but ourselves for trusting him only to watch him shame us, individually and collectively. We are proud of our employees for how they weathered through the mess he made. But make no mistake, Amit broke our hearts.”
During the hearing, Patel was moved to tears while listening to his brother discuss his struggles with alcohol and gambling. His uncle spoke about the negative impact of his potential imprisonment on his widowed mother, and his girlfriend discussed her constant support, which included attending weekly addiction meetings and becoming an Uber driver to assist.
Patel expressed remorse for his actions, stating,
“I stand before you embarrassed, ashamed and disappointed for my actions. It began small and then snowballed so big that my only thought was to gamble my way out of it. In the end, I always thought that big win was right around the corner and would fix all my problems.”
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