Former Jacksonville Jaguars staffer Amit Patel pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to two federal charges for stealing more than $22 million from the team, according to ESPN’s Michael DiRocco.
Patel, 31, was charged with felony charges of wire fraud and illegal monetary transaction for manipulating the Jaguars’ virtual credit card (VCC) program, which he managed, for personal profit. Patel will be sentenced at a later date and is reportedly facing a maximum of 30 years in prison.
In a statement, Patel’s lawyer said that the majority of the $22,221,454.40 stolen from the Jaguars was used to support his client’s gambling addiction.
“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,” attorney Alex King said in a statement, via ESPN.
According to court filings, Patel is accused of using some of the money to purchase a condo, a Tesla, cryptocurrency, and luxury wristwatches, among many other items.
The Jaguars say they “engaged experienced law and accounting firms to conduct a comprehensive independent review” and found no other employees were aware or involved in Patel’s crimes.
