(CNN) — The previous employee of the Jacksonville Jaguars who has been accused of stealing more than $22 million from the NFL team to fund a lavish way of living suffers from a “serious gambling habit,” in accordance to his attorney.
In accordance to court docket files submitted in US District Court docket this 7 days, Amit Patel is accused of wire fraud and unlawful financial transaction, thieving hundreds of thousands by using the team’s digital credit history card (VCC) process about a four-calendar year period of time.
In a assertion despatched to CNN on Thursday, Patel’s lawyer Alex King said that his consumer is “deeply remorseful and apologizes for his conduct” and that “approximately 99% of the cash misappropriated from the Jaguars’ VCC had been gambling losses.”
Patel mainly applied the revenue to wager on football gambling sites, in accordance to King, who included that “the losses have been most substantial in the closing months primary up to the NFL’s investigation.”
King explained that soon following his firing from the Jaguars in early 2023, Patel checked into a rehabilitation middle to deal with his gambling addiction.
“Mr. Patel’s really serious gambling addiction does not justification his steps, which he will take whole duty for,” King reported.
“Although incomprehensible to most, a gambling addition is related to material abuse, this sort of that the problem can stimulate the brain’s dopamine response significantly like medicines or liquor do.
“It offers an uncontrollable urge to maintain gambling even with the toll it requires on one’s everyday living, and produces a willingness to possibility more and additional, inspite of the affect it has.
“Almost the entirety of the funds Mr. Patel applied from the VCC were put in on the gambling web-sites and attempts to gain income back again, with the anticipation he would repay the resources with the winnings and make the Jaguars entire,” included King.
“Unfortunately, Mr. Patel’s compulsive gambling only exacerbated the situation, and he continued to misappropriate money in an work to have gambling winnings offset his sizeable losses.”
The court docket filing states Patel utilized the revenue to fund on line gambling, fork out for private travel and lodging for himself and close friends as nicely as sporting tickets, obtain a new Tesla auto, Nissan pickup truck, invest in cryptocurrency and purchase a house in Ponte Vedra Beach front, Florida.
He is also alleged to have bought a Patek Philippe Nautilus look at – value above $95,000 – having to pay the overall rate with “proceeds of his fraud scheme.”
Nonetheless, King refutes those people allegations, stating Patel’s way of life was paid out for legitimately.
“(Patel’s) modest home was paid out for generally with relatives dollars and other revenue gained,” claimed King.
“Additionally, Mr. Patel acquired a Tesla Product 3 with his gained money and traded that in to enhance his automobile to a comparable Product 3. Mr. Patel did not use the Jaguars’ VCC to fund his way of living, but in a horribly misguided effort to pay back again former gambling losses that utilized the Jaguars’ VCC program.”
Patel waived his proper to an indictment and the circumstance will carry on centered on the sworn information and facts filed by federal prosecutors.
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Firm. All rights reserved.
