Ex-Jaguars employee Amit Patel accused of stealing $22 million by exploiting credit card program over past 5 years

Patel worked for the Jaguars from 2019 to 2023.

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A former Jacksonville Jaguars employee has been accused of stealing more than $22 million from the American football team. The individual in question is an Indian-origin man named Amit Patel.

According to the court records and statement released by the Jaguars, Patel was the manager of financial planning and analysis for the franchise. Taking advantage of his position, he manipulated the team’s virtual credit card (VCC) program.

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What is VCC? It is a program intended for Jaguar employees to make legitimate business purchases. However, Patel misused the position and committed wire fraud, embezzling around $22 million from the Jaguars office.

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The Jacksonville Jaguars revealed Patel was working alone, and no other employee was involved in the fraud.

This individual was a former manager of financial planning and analysis who took advantage of his trusted position to covertly and intentionally commit significant fraudulent financial activity at the team’s expense for personal benefit.

They also made it clear that, besides the illegal money transactions, nothing regarding the team roster or playcalling was leaked.

This individual had no access to confidential football strategy, personnel, or other football information.

What benefits did Amit Patel gain from stealing money from the Jacksonville Jaguars?

According to an article from the New York Post, Amit Patel siphoned away money by tinkering with the VCC system. He used it to live a lavish lifestyle, including catering, airfare, and hotel charges. To cover his tracks, he entered completely fictitious transactions in the database.

Ex-Jaguars employee Amit Patel accused of stealing $22 million by exploiting credit card program over past 5 years
TIAA Bank Field (Image via Jacksonville Jaguars)

Also, Patel reportedly bought a condominium in Ponte Vedra Beach in Flordia with the money and used some of it to gamble on online betting websites. A generous portion of the stash was spent on traveling via private jets, booking luxury hotels, and private rental residences. Apparently, he also bought a Tesla Model 3 sedan, which can cost between $45.990 and $47,240.

Patel’s spending spree did not end there. He invested some of the green in cryptocurrency, non-fungible tokens, electronics, sports memorabilia, and even gained membership in the Country Club.

If the court finds Patel guilty, then the judge could order him to forfeit property worth at least $22,221,454.40 or the equivalent of the proceeds of the alleged offense. The Jaguars revealed that they had already fired him back in February and that he is no longer part of the NFL franchise.

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