A former employee of the National Football League’s Jacksonville Jaguars has been charged with stealing over $22 million from the team, reports USA Today and The Florida Times-Union.
Amit Patel faces federal charges for allegedly spending the money on personal expenses such as a condo, a $95,000 watch and luxury travel, as noted in charging documents filed by federal prosecutors.
Patel was fired in February 2023 by the Jaguars, who play in the AFC South division, the same division as the Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts.
Starting in 2018, he served for 5 seasons as an employee in the Jaguars’ finance department, where he became sole administrator of the team’s virtual credit card (VCC) program. That enabled him to approve new accounts, request changes to available credit and classify virtual credit card transactions in business reports.
Prosecutors say he used those powers to pass off his personal purchases as team business expenses via the team’s virtual credit card system, which does not involve a physical card but rather virtual transactions.
Two counts of white-collar crimes were cited in the federal charges against Patel: illegal monetary transactions and wire fraud.
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What are illegal monetary transactions?
In the case of Patel, the illegal monetary transactions allegedly amounted to credit card charges totaling $22,221,454.40.
Such charges allegedly enabled him to buy:
- A Nissan pickup truck
- A Tesla Model 3 valued at over $40,000
- A country club membership
- A condo in Ponte Vedra Beach valued at over $265,000
- A Patek Philippe Nautilus watch valued at over $95,000
- Home furnishings
- Sports memorabilia
- Concert tickets
- Personal travel for himself and friends involving luxury hotels and private jets
- Cryptocurrency and bets with online gambling websites
Prosecutors say losses from these gambling bets heightened his use of the VCC for illegal transactions.
Patel also reportedly spent Jaguars’ funds on a retainer with a criminal defense law firm.
His attorney said his client has a “serious gambling addiction” and intends to plead guilty to both charges.
According to CNN, Patel “waived his right to an indictment, and the case will proceed based on the sworn information filed by federal prosecutors.”
In a statement, the team said that for several months it had “cooperated fully with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office” for the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida during their investigations.
The team said Patel had used his position as a manager of the Jaguars’ financial planning and analysis “to covertly and intentionally commit significant fraudulent financial activity at the team’s expense for personal benefit.”
The Jaguars added that Patel “had no access to confidential football strategy, personnel or other football information.”
The team said that the law and accounting firms it hired to conduct a “comprehensive independent review” concluded that no other team employees were involved in or aware of the criminal activity.
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How serious are wire fraud, illegal monetary transaction charges?
As for the seriousness of a federal charge of wire fraud (18 U.S.C. Section 1343), upon conviction, a person charged with that crime can face a prison sentence of up to 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000.
Federal law on illegal monetary transactions (18 U.S.C. Section 1957) holds that a defendant, upon conviction, can face a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the value of the monetary instrument or funds involved.
What are Texas’s laws on white-collar crimes?
Texas laws for such white-collar crimes target the offense of “theft.”
As with fraud, theft involves taking something from someone without permission. But while theft involves the intent to take someone’s property, fraud also concerns an intent to deceive in taking such property, money or services and, in the process, to stage complex schemes.
Who is the best Houston fraud defense lawyer?
If you or a family member in the Houston area faces an accusation or charge of fraud or some other white-collar crime, you may be seeking the best Houston white-collar criminal defense attorney or lawyer that you can find.
So-called white-collar crimes—or financially driven, non-violent offenses—can be the basis of state charges as well as federal charges, or both. These can lead to years in prison and high fines. That’s why it’s vital to engage a top Houston-area criminal defense law firm.
The Neal Davis Law Firm has years of experience fighting for the legal rights of Texans who have been accused of fraud or other white-collar crimes, such as embezzlement, bribery, conspiracy, identity theft, antitrust violations, counterfeiting or money laundering. In fact, the law firm has repeatedly won honors and awards for its work handling white-collar crime cases.
Contact us today at the Neal Davis Law Firm to arrange a confidential consultation for your case. Your reputation, your livelihood and your freedom may depend on making the proper response to a serious white-collar crime charge or accusation.
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