A former Jacksonville Jaguars government stole $22 million from the NFL group and used the cash to fund a luxurious life-style that included a Tesla, personal jet journey and a $95,000 Patek Philippe Nautilus watch, based on US prosecutors.
The CEO, Amit Patel, processed fraudulent bank card transactions from September 2019 till he was fired in February, based on expenses filed Tuesday in Jacksonville, Florida. Patel is charged with wire fraud and interesting in an unlawful monetary transaction.
Patel, the group’s former director of economic planning and evaluation, agreed to waive his proper to be charged in a prison indictment, based on a courtroom doc, a transfer that always indicators a plea settlement. The case was first reported in The Athletic.
The prison expenses didn’t point out Jaguar Automobiles, referring to Patel’s former employer solely as “Firm A.” However the group confirmed that he was the sufferer of Patel’s alleged fraud.
The Jaguars mentioned in an announcement that Patel used his place to “secretly and deliberately commit vital fraudulent monetary exercise on the group’s expense for private acquire.”
Alex King, Patel’s lawyer, didn’t instantly reply to telephone and electronic mail messages searching for remark.
Jaguar Automobiles mentioned the group cooperated with investigators and employed accountants and regulation corporations to evaluate the transactions. No different worker knew of the fraud and Patel had no entry to secret soccer technique or different data.
The Jaguars, with eight wins and 4 losses, at the moment lead the Nationwide Soccer League’s AFC South Division.
Digital bank card
Prosecutors allege Patel oversaw the group’s digital bank card program, which allowed some workers to gather bills with out a bodily bank card. Every month, Patel’s activity was to create an accounting file for the fees from the earlier month.
Patel created information containing fraudulent entries, inventing bogus transactions, elevating respectable charges from future months and inflating some charges, together with catering prices, airline tickets and inns, based on the federal government.
Prosecutors allege Patel spent the tens of millions he stole from the group on on-line playing, an house close to Ponte Vedra Seaside in Florida, personal jet journey and luxurious lodging for himself and his buddies.
He purchased a brand new Tesla Mannequin 3 sedan and a Nissan pickup truck, cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens, sports activities memorabilia, a rustic membership membership, tickets to sporting occasions and high-end watches, together with a Patek Philippe.
Patel additionally allegedly used the stolen cash to rent a private coach and a prison protection lawyer.