Jaguars sue ex-employee convicted of stealing $22 million from them
Former Jacksonville Jaguars employee Amit Patel is currently serving a six-and-a-half-year sentence in federal prison. His former employer just added to his issues.
The Jaguars are suing Patel, who pleaded guilty to stealing $22 million from them earlier this year, for $66.6 million in damages in Florida state court on Thursday, according to ESPN. The team is alleging fraudulent misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty and civil theft.
The Jaguars are likely to win the case given that Patel has admitted to much of what they are alleging in in criminal court, with the civil court requiring a lower burden of proof. However, the odds of the Jaguars recovering the $22 million from Patel are slim, let alone $66.6 million.
The team's former manager of planning analysis stole that money primarily to pay off his gambling debts with FanDuel and DraftKings, along with some assorted luxury purchases such as a Tiger Woods putter and private jet travel. The Jaguars have asked FanDuel to return the $20 million, with little apparent success.
Instead, ESPN notes the lawsuit would make it easier for the Jaguars to seize assets from Patel rather than going through the federal government. Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio also speculates the lawsuit could help recover money from the online sportsbooks, as Patel could file a third-party complaint alleging negligence on their part.
Somehow, this isn't the messiest way someone's time with the Jaguars has ended in recent years.
