Details emerge on Jaguars fraudster’s alleged $5 million spending spree
Oct 1, 2023; London, United Kingdom;The Jacksonville Jaguars logo at midfield during an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Former Jacksonville Jaguars employee Amit Patel pleaded guilty in December to stealing millions of dollars from the team. Details on Patel’s allegedly outrageous spending habits have now been made public.
Patel last year admitted to stealing over $22 million in funds, which he claimed was fueled by a crippling gambling addiction.
Patel’s camp has since asserted that the vast majority of the funds were squandered on high-stakes daily fantasy wagers. But federal prosecutors alleged in a court filing Thursday that at least $5 million of the stolen amount was used to fund Patel’s “life of luxury.”
Patel had spent $278,000 on hotels, travel accommodations, and private jets, according to the court filing obtained by ESPN’s Michael DiRocco.
The filing indicated that Patel had purchased $200,000 worth of golf memorabilia, including a putter used by Tiger Woods in 1996 worth almost $50,000. Patel had also done some golfing himself, as he was said to have racked up $77,000 in expenses at an exclusive country club.
The court documents alleged that Patel had also been a frequent eBay customer, spending more than $140,000 on the online marketplace since his spending spree began. His eBay purchase list from the court filing even included a game-used Trevor Lawrence jersey worth $2,200 that had been bought days after charges were filed against him.
Federal prosecutors are reportedly seeking an 8-year prison sentence for Patel, who will be sentenced on Tuesday.
