Jacksonville, Florida – A former employee of the Jacksonville Jaguars has been involved in a case of fraud. According to court records and a statement released by the team, Amit Patel has been charged with wire fraud for allegedly making over $22 million in fraudulent credit card purchases.
Patel is accused of using his position as the only person in charge of the Jaguars’ virtual credit card program to make personal purchases look like they were for business. His claimed extravagant purchases include luxurious travel, expensive hotels, and a $95,000 watch, all of which were charged to the Jaguars’ virtual credit card accounts.
The Jaguars, referred to as “Business A” in court documents, confirmed they were the victims of Patel’s alleged crimes. Patel was fired from the team in February. They made it clear that Patel had been a manager in financial planning and analysis before and clarified that he did not have access to confidential football information. The Jaguars hired law and accounting companies to do an independent review to make sure no one else was involved. The reviews proved Patel acted alone.
The Athletic was the first to report on this story. Team media guides said Patel has worked for the Jaguars in the finance department since 2018. By 2019, he had become the “sole administrator” of the team’s virtual credit card program, giving him significant control over account approvals and credit adjustments. His responsibilities also included categorizing the credit card transactions in business reports.
From September 2019 until he was fired in February 2023, prosecutors say Patel misused team accounts. He stands accused of making fake transactions and manipulating others to fund his personal expenditures, including betting on online sites, purchasing a Tesla, becoming a member of a country club and also purchasing a two-bedroom apartment in Ponte Vedra Beach valued at over $265,000. Patel agreed to be charged by information instead of indictment, and his first court appearance is yet to be scheduled.