Amit Patel was sentenced Tuesday to 78 months in prison after pleading guilty to a massive fraud that siphoned more than $22 million from NFL teams, according to the Associated Press.
Patel was sentenced to six years in prison in federal court in Jacksonville. according to To AP. The 31-year-old former Jacksonville Jaguars employee reportedly managed the team’s finances. The newspaper said he admitted to defrauding NFL teams out of more than $22 million. His crimes, which included abusing the team’s virtual credit card program and allegedly involved wire fraud and illegal financial transactions, he confessed to last December.
The Associated Press reported that Patel showed no visible reaction when Judge Henry Lee Adams Jr. handed down the sentence, which included three years of supervised release after prison. The court was reportedly informed that although Patel had already repaid $1.89 million, he still owed more than $21 million in restitution, an amount that the judge ruled was due to his felony conviction. It noted that Patel was unlikely to repay the loan. The newspaper said Patel’s defense had asked for a reduction of no more than 60 months, but prosecutors pointed to the complexity of Patel’s fraud. The incident reportedly went unnoticed for more than three years after he made hundreds of fake transactions.
The former Jacksonville Jaguars financial manager who pleaded guilty to stealing more than $22 million from an NFL franchise through a virtual credit card program has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison. https://t.co/lt9K4JhN5k
— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 12, 2024
“If he can steal $22 million and get probation, he will do it again,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Coolican said, according to the Associated Press. “He’s a smart guy and I’m sure he’ll find a way. …If it gets reported on SportsCenter tonight, he could steal $22 million and get a low sentence, like a slap on the wrist. , you better be careful.” (Related: Convicted child sex offender who remotely hacked NFL team’s jumbotron was fired from team, it turns out)
Jaguars legal director Megha Parekh acknowledged the emotional toll the betrayal had placed on the organization, but expressed a desire to move forward and forgive, the newspaper reported.
“On behalf of the Jaguars, I want to forgive ourselves for trusting him only to see us move forward and humiliate not only Amit, but us both individually and collectively. Please be aware of this,” Parekh reportedly said. “We’re proud of our employees for how they got through the mess he caused. But without a doubt, Amit broke our hearts.”
According to the Associated Press, Patel cried as she listened to her brother talk about his struggles with drinking and gambling. Later, the convicted felon’s uncle reportedly told his widowed mother about the negative effects of his own potential incarceration. The paper said his girlfriend spoke of her constant support, including attending weekly addiction meetings and helping out by becoming an Uber driver.
“I stand before you, embarrassed, ashamed and disappointed in my actions,” he said, according to the Associated Press. “At first it was a small thing, but it snowballed so much that all I could think about was gambling my way out. At the end of the day, I always knew that the big win was just around the corner and that I could solve all my problems and solve them.” I thought you would give it to me.”
