The former Jacksonville Jaguars employee who embezzled more than $22 million has been sentenced to more than six years in prison.
Amit Patel will spend the next 78 months in federal prison after being sentenced on Tuesday in a U.S. District Court. Last December, the 31-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of engaging in an illegal monetary transaction after misusing the team’s virtual credit card and falsifying records between 2019 and 2023.
“I stand before you embarrassed, ashamed and disappointed by my actions,” said Patel during his sentencing hearing. “I can never truly convey how sorry I am to everyone affected by my actions.”
Patel, who originally faced up to 30 years in prison, has also been ordered to serve three years of supervised release after his prison sentence and pay $21.1 million in restitution.
Last week, prosecutors had recommended a seven-year sentence for Patel.
Patel used Jaguars to fund gambling habit
The former finance manager illegally used the team’s VCC to make expensive purchases, including $47,113 on a putter used by 15-time major champion Tiger Woods in 1996. Patel also spent over $278,000 on vacation travel, including $78,000 on private jets.
Patel, who had allegedly transferred roughly $20 million to FanDuel, spent $95,000 on a Patek Philippe wristwatch. He also spent almost $600,000 at Apple.
Patel was considered “the biggest loser ever on FanDuel,” by high-profile members of the DFS community, per an ESPN report.
Reasoning for Patel’s behavior
Patel’s attorney, Alex King, cited several reasons for Patel’s behavior.
King cited a gambling habit that had started during Patel’s college career and also racial discrimination at a young age due to his family’s immigration from India to the U.S. His attorney also believed inappropriate behavior by a high school cafeteria worker impacted Patel’s illicit spending. King had recommended a maximum one-year sentence for Patel.
