Michael DiRocco, ESPN Personnel Scribbler
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A former Jacksonville Jaguars monetary worker is accused of stealing greater than $22 million from the franchise over a four-year length via manipulating its digital bank card program, in keeping with paperwork filed this moment in U.S. District Courtroom.
The USA Legal professional’s Workplace charged Amit Patel with twine fraud and unlawful financial transaction, alleging that Patel — who held diverse titles right through his tenure with the Jaguars, together with maximum lately supervisor, monetary making plans and research — impaired his place as the only real overseer of the franchise’s VCC program to treasure private grand purchases and safe up his robbery.
The Athletic first reported the fees, that have been filed within the Jacksonville Category of the Center District of Florida on Tuesday.
The Jaguars weren’t named within the courtroom submitting, however the crew showed it’s the entity known as “Business A” and stated in a observation that it had fired Patel previous this 12 months.
“We can confirm that in February 2023, the team terminated the employment of the individual named in the filing,” the observation stated. “Over the past several months we have cooperated fully with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida during their investigation and thank them for their efforts in this case. As was made clear in the charges, 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. This individual had no access to confidential football strategy, personnel or other football information. The team engaged experienced law and accounting firms to conduct a comprehensive independent review, which concluded that no other team employees were involved in or aware of his criminal activity.”
In line with the courtroom submitting, Patel is accused of stealing $22,221,454.40 and the use of a few of that cash for purchases that come with a rental in Ponte Vedra Seaside, a Tesla Style 3 sedan, cryptocurrency, chartering non-public jets, luxurious lodge remains, a rustic membership club and comfort wrist watches.
The submitting alleges that Patel become the only real administrator in October 2019 of the Jaguars’ VCC program, which is a fee mode that purposes like a standard bank card account however and not using a bodily bank card. Sure staff had been allowed to utility the VCC program for business-related purchases and bills. Patel is accused of duplicating official bills in an digital ledger, inflating quantities of official transactions and getting into fictitious transactions, and nearest the use of the cash for private purchases.
The submitting does now not feature how or when the Jaguars become acutely aware of the alleged robbery.
