The Florida man in Amit Patel — the Jaguars’ employee who embezzled $22 million from the team — was very robust. You’d anticipate that a lot ill-gotten money could be spent on issues that the solid of The Italian Job would purchase, however that is the land of Parrot Heads, so the popular route is to go hog wild on the sportsbook, after which blow the remainder on bizarre on-line purchases.
In a court docket submitting Thursday, federal prosecutors detailed Patel’s expenditures, and it learn like a remake of Blank Check. There was $600,000 on Apple merchandise, $47,113 for a Tiger Woods putter, $40,000 at Amazon and Greatest Purchase, $140,412 on eBay, and, my private favourite, $9,477 on the Jaguars group store and stadium membership.
Dude, you labored for the group. I’m certain somebody might’ve hooked you up with low cost and/or free swag. Additionally, how are you going to spend $2,200 on a game-used Trevor Lawrence jersey? Simply go all the way down to the locker room after a recreation and swipe a bunch of jerseys from the laundry, or strive asking. I’m certain there are many latent felons round.
Fast word to the Jaguars: In case your monetary supervisor is dropping hundreds of {dollars} on the group store like he’s on a purchasing spree, or exhibiting up on the stadium membership draped in merch, possibly examine your books. However who is aware of, maybe they thought Patel was paying off his Tesla by driving for Uber.
Patel’s lawyer, Alex King, who was retained with $275,000 of the surplus funds, stated his consumer has a playing dependancy and that “99 percent of the misappropriated funds” had been used to pay again playing losses. King cited a playing dependancy as the reason for Patel’s malfeasance as if an alcoholic who plows into a bunch of pedestrians needs to be given leniency as a result of substance abuse is a illness.
To be sincere, although, that is as near a victimless crime as you’re going to get. Jaguar proprietor Shahid Khan owns AEW and an EPL membership, so his coffers in all probability aren’t hurting for cash. Plus, not too way back, Nick Foles bought away with $88 million. Positive, it was a legally binding, four-year contract, nevertheless it was nonetheless a heist.
Issue within the karma of the NFL getting in mattress with sportsbooks, after which having some whack-job group worker bilk a franchise out of $22 million, and the entire thing is excessive comedy. Patel dropped $77,000 on the Ponte Vedra Seashore Inn & Membership, together with $25,581 on an initiation charge, after which one other $5,508 on massages and cucumber water.
The very first thing I’m doing with $22 million is shopping for property as far-off from Florida as attainable. And the very last thing I’m doing, apart from frittering it away on misguided parlays, is shopping for memorabilia. What function does a Tiger Woods putter serve? “Hey, everybody, come over to my house and check out my putter.”
Amit, darling, you mustn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger. However, after all, that is Florida, and when you’re inside the state strains, all bets are . . . funded by stolen cash, apparently.
