A former Jacksonville Jaguars govt stole $22 million from the NFL workforce and used the cash to fund a luxurious life-style that included a Tesla, personal jet journey and a $95,000 Patek Philippe Nautilus watch, in keeping with US prosecutors.
The chief, Amit Patel, processed fraudulent bank card transactions from September 2019 till he was fired in February, in keeping with costs filed Tuesday in Jacksonville, Florida. Patel is charged with wire fraud and with participating in an unlawful monetary transaction.
Patel, the workforce’s former supervisor of economic planning and evaluation, agreed to waive his proper to be charged in a felony indictment, in keeping with a court docket doc, a transfer that always alerts an settlement to plead responsible. The case was first reported in The Athletic.
The prison costs don’t point out the Jaguars, referring to Patel’s former employer solely as “Business A.” However the workforce confirmed that it was the sufferer of Patel’s alleged fraud.
Patel took benefit of his job to “covertly and intentionally commit significant fraudulent financial activity at the team’s expense for personal benefit,” the Jaguars mentioned in a press release.
Alex King, Patel’s lawyer, didn’t instantly return telephone and e mail messages in search of remark.
The Jaguars mentioned the workforce has cooperated with investigators and employed accountants and regulation corporations to evaluate the transactions. No different staff had been conscious of the fraud and Patel had no entry to confidential soccer technique or different info.
The Jaguars, with eight wins and 4 losses, at present lead the AFC South division of the Nationwide Soccer League.
Digital Credit score Card
Prosecutors declare Patel oversaw the workforce’s digital bank card program, which allowed some staff to cost bills with out a bodily bank card. Every month it was Patel’s job to create a file accounting for the fees from the previous month.
Patel created recordsdata with fraudulent entries, inventing phony transactions, transferring up respectable costs from future months and inflating some costs, together with for catering, airfare and lodges, in keeping with the federal government.
Prosecutors declare Patel spent the thousands and thousands he stole from the workforce on web playing, a condominium close to Florida’s Ponte Vedra Seashore and for personal jet journey and luxurious lodging for himself and pals.
He purchased a brand new Tesla Mannequin 3 sedan and a Nissan pickup truck, cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens, sports activities memorabilia, a rustic membership membership, tickets to sporting occasions and high-end watches, together with the Patek Philippe.
Patel additionally allegedly used stolen cash to rent a private coach and a prison protection lawyer.
