Jaguars sue Amit Patel, ex-employee who stole funds - ESPN

The Jacksonville Jaguars sued their former employee who stole $22 million from the team in Florida state court Thursday for $66.6 million in damages.

Amit Patel, who oversaw the team's virtual credit card program, pleaded guilty in federal court in December to stealing more than $22 million from the team over a 3½-year period to pay off gambling debts and fund a life of luxury. In Thursday's filing, the team said that Patel stole the bulk of that money, $20 million, in just eight months.

In the lawsuit, the team alleged fraudulent misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty and civil theft. The claims are largely based on Patel's admissions in federal court.

Patel's lawyer, Alex King, did not immediately respond to ESPN's request for comment.

According to Negin Kordbacheh, an attorney who practices business law in Florida, if the Jaguars prevail in court, it will allow the team more flexibility to recover the stolen funds from Patel without relying on the federal government to act on its behalf. The team could seize assets that Patel acquired legally. Florida allows plaintiffs to recover up to three times the amount of actual damages.

"[A] civil lawsuit allows the victim to control the litigation process," Kordbacheh said. «There's also asset recovery. They can garnish wages, seize assets, et cetera. These are obviously tools that are very important for making sure that the victim receives full compensation.»

According to court documents, Patel transferred $20 million of the funds to FanDuel, where he had a VIP host, and $1 million to DraftKings. ESPN has previously reported that Patel was a high-volume, high-stakes daily fantasy sports player known for racking up big losses. Patel has said that he suffers from a