New documents reveal what a former Jacksonville Jaguars employee who stole $22 million did with the money.
More than 60 pages of documents released by prosecutors, the “United States’ Sentencing Memorandum,” reveal Amit Patel’s spending, which included:
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- $20 million on FanDuel alone
- More than $200,000 on golf memorabilia, including nearly $50,000 on a Tiger Woods golf putter
- More than $78,000 on private jets
- More than $95,000 on a watch
Sentencing memorandum for Amit Patel by ActionNewsJax on Scribd
The new documents also showed pictures of Patel on those private jets, and spending time at the Ponte Vedra Inn and Club, where he spent more than $77,000. Photos show him relaxing at the club in a spa robe with a cocktail.
Patel was arrested in December and pleaded guilty later that month. He is set to be sentenced on Tuesday. Prosecutors are recommending seven years in prison.
The memorandum cites an Action News Jax story, stating that Patel took the “unusual step of issuing a press release.” The document cites that press release, accusing Patel of “victim-blaming” the Jaguars.
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Prosecutors said Patel tried to shift blame to the Jaguars for not checking his credit card statements for having proper supervision of his work, when in reality, prosecutors say he would’ve been the one to spot the fraud.
Patel didn’t use the money to feed family, care for sick loved ones, or donate to charity -- he spent it on himself, prosecutors said.
He was living a lavish life for more than three years, using the Jaguars’ virtual credit card program to make hundreds of purchases while creating and emailing false accounting records to the team’s representatives, prosecutors said.
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This was all while keeping the card below the limit to keep things hidden.
Prosecutors said Patel lived his life in the fast lane, spending more than $278,000 on hotels, rental properties, and travel.
So where exactly did he go?
- Trips to the Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, where the lowest rate for a single room is more than $1,000 for one night.
- An adventure to Miami for a Formula 1 race and partying in the clubs.
- And one to Georgia in Sea Island, where he’s golfing and relaxing in a spa robe.
- The Jaguars game in London and the Kansas City playoff game in 2023.
Pictures from these trips show him shopping at Givenchy and on a private jet in his Jaguars gear.
PHOTOS: Government exhibits show how former Jaguars employee who stole $22M spent it
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But prosecutors say he didn’t learn his lesson even after the fraud was discovered and he was fired. The week before he pleaded guilty, he paid more than $2,200 for a game-issued Trevor Lawrence jersey he bought on eBay.
A detailed layout shows how he took money from the credit card program, putting it to sports betting sites, then to his PayPal account, which made its way to his personal accounts and expenses.
While Patel’s attorney said 99% of the stolen money went to sports betting websites, prosecutors said Patel transferred more than $5 million to his PayPal and other accounts.
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