Ex-Jaguars employee Amit Patel sentenced to prison for fraud - ESPN

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Amit Patel, the former Jacksonville Jaguars employee who pleaded guilty to stealing $22 million from the team, was sentenced to 6½ years in prison on Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Henry Lee Adams Jr. also ordered that Patel, 31, pay the Jaguars $21.1 million in restitution and attend Gamblers Anonymous meetings.

«I stand before you embarrassed, shamed, and disappointed by my actions,» Patel said during the hearing. He told the court he'd been sober for almost a year and was seeking help for his gambling addiction. «I can never truly convey how sorry I am to everyone affected by my actions.»

Megha Parekh, the Jaguars' senior vice president and chief legal officer, read a statement on behalf of the team, which previously said that Patel had no access to football information and no other team employees were involved in Patel's activity.

«We gave him his dream job. We trusted him. We worked with him. We broke bread with him. We went through a pandemic and the highs and lows of the NFL with him,» Parekh said. «He betrayed us.

»We take no joy in his punishment. Make no mistake, Amit broke our hearts."

Federal prosecutors had recommended a seven-year sentence for wire fraud and illegal monetary transaction, while Patel's attorney, Alex King, had asked for punishments ranging from probation to one year in prison in court filings last week.

«We're pleased with today's results and we remain committed to investigating those who would seek to defraud the public and our business community,» Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Coolican said.

Patel admitted to stealing $22,221,454.40 from the Jaguars over 3½ years as the overseer of the team's virtual credit card program. According to court documents, Patel transferred