A mid-level employee is sentenced to six years in prison for stealing $22 million from an NFL team

According to the United States Attorney’s Office, in March 2024, Amit Patel, a former mid-level Jacksonville Jaguars employee, was sentenced to six years and six months in federal prison for committing wire fraud and engaging in an illegal monetary transaction.

As part of the sentence, Patel has been ordered to forfeit $22,221,454.40 (£17m, €20m) for the wire fraud charge and ordered to pay full restitution to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

NFL franchises are some of the richest corporations in the world, with the Jacksonville Jaguars worth $4 billion.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

So how has a middle-level employee managed to steal over $20 million after working in the finance department?

Patel allegedly created fraudulent charges on the team's virtual credit card and then covered his tracks by sending falsified files to the team's accounting department.

The $22 million he stole was used to fund a gambling addiction on daily fantasy sports apps, including FanDuel and DraftKings, under the username 'ParlayPicker.'

Picture – YouTube @associated press

According to 'Rotogrinders,' ParlayPicker put nearly $500,000 into fantasy tournaments on the NFL, Major League Baseball, the PGA Tour, and UFC.

Picture – YouTube @associated press

Patel's biggest losses came from high-stakes three-man contests that included elite competition and buy-ins of $24,000.

Picture – YouTube @associated press

As well as sports betting, Patel used money to buy luxury vehicles and travel, a condominium, and a watch worth nearly $100,000.

Picture – YouTube @First coast news

Patel has been charged with wire fraud and illegal monetary transactions, according to his attorney, Alex King.

Picture – YouTube @action news jax

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

According to ESPN, King said: "Mr. Patel did not use the Jaguars' VCC to fund his lifestyle but in a horribly misguided effort to pay back previous gambling losses that utilized the Jaguars' VCC program."

"Approximately 99% of the funds misappropriated from the Jaguars' VCC were gambling losses, almost all of which occurred."

Working by himself, Patel was able to exploit the new credit car system in a department known to be understaffed in the Jacksonville front office.

The former finance department worker was able to steal more than twice the amount of what star quarterback Trevor Lawrence counts against the Jaguars' salary cap.

Was the court case a distraction for the Jacksonville Jaguars on and off the field? Since the court case came to light in December 2023, results were poor for the Jaguars.

The Jaguars lost five of their last six remaining games in the NFL regular season, beating only the Carolina Panthers on New Year's Eve.

Going into December 2023, the Jaguars were 8-3 in the NFL regular season, with the postseason looking incredibly realistic for the team led by Trevor Lawrence.

Instead, since the court case has come to life, Jacksonville finished with a record of 9-8 and missed out on a playoff spot.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!