Ex-Jaguars Employee Could Serve More Prison Time in $22M Fraud Case
Former Jackson Jaguars financial manager Amit Patel, who is incarcerated at the federal level for embezzling $22 million from the organization, is now facing yet another round of legal troubles, this time from Florida state authorities.
After entering a guilty plea in a federal court to wire fraud and participating in an unlawful financial transaction related to the enormous theft, Patel was given a sentence of six and a half years in March 2024.
However, Patel's sentence can be further increased by fresh state charges that were submitted to Duval County Court this week. He has been charged with six different offenses, all of which include the theft of more than $100,000. According to state legislation, the maximum penalty for each count is 30 years in jail.
In Florida, a new conviction could result in consecutive punishment or more time served.
The "Biggest Loser" on FanDuel
From 2018 to 2023, Patel was the Jags' only administrator of the virtual credit card (VCC) system. During that period, he fraudulently duplicated or completely fabricated hundreds of transactions to siphon off precisely $22,221,454.40 from the VCC program.
According to court records, he transferred almost $20 million of the pilfered money to his FanDuel account and another $1 million to DraftKings.
Patel was the "biggest loser ever on FanDuel," according to one DFS regular, and was a "high-volume, high-stakes DFS player." The Jacksonville Jaguars are investigating the potential of recovering the $21.1 million in restitution he was ordered to pay through FanDuel.
The main focus of his defense has been his addiction to gambling. According to the attorneys, "about 99 percent" of the money was lost to gambling. As part of his punishment, a federal judge mandated that Patel attend sessions of Gamblers Anonymous.
But his addiction to gambling isn't the only reason he spent $78K on private aircraft charters and bought Tiger Woods' 1996 putter. He spent over $40K at Amazon and Best Buy and about $600K at Apple. He spent $265K on a condo in Ponte Vedra Beach.
“I stand before you embarrassed, shamed, and disappointed by my actions,” he said at his sentencing hearing. “I can never truly convey how sorry I am to everyone affected by my actions.”
FanDuel is sued by Patel
In a surprising turn of events, Patel has sued FanDuel, claiming the massive sportsbook took advantage of his addiction. According to the lawsuit, FanDuel continued to support his gaming by interacting with a VIP host on a regular basis while failing to report suspicious activities. It is requesting damages of an astounding $250 million. FanDuel has not addressed the case in public.
Prior to his planned arraignment on July 30, Patel was transferred from the Williamsburg Federal Prison Camp in South Carolina to the Duval County Jail.
