A former worker of the Nationwide Soccer League’s Jacksonville Jaguars has been charged with stealing over $22 million from the group, stories USA Right now and The Florida Occasions-Union.
Amit Patel faces federal prices for allegedly spending the cash on private bills corresponding to a apartment, a $95,000 watch and luxurious journey, as famous in charging paperwork filed by federal prosecutors.
Patel was fired in February 2023 by the Jaguars, who play within the AFC South division, the identical division because the Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts.
Beginning in 2018, he served for five seasons as an worker within the Jaguars’ finance division, the place he turned sole administrator of the group’s digital bank card (VCC) program. That enabled him to approve new accounts, request modifications to accessible credit score and classify digital bank card transactions in enterprise stories.
Prosecutors say he used these powers to move off his private purchases as group enterprise bills by way of the group’s digital bank card system, which doesn’t contain a bodily card however quite digital transactions.
Two counts of white-collar crimes had been cited within the federal prices in opposition to Patel: unlawful financial transactions and wire fraud.
What are unlawful financial transactions?
Within the case of Patel, the unlawful financial transactions allegedly amounted to bank card prices totaling $22,221,454.40.
Such prices allegedly enabled him to purchase:
- A Nissan pickup truck
- A Tesla Mannequin 3 valued at over $40,000
- A rustic membership membership
- A apartment in Ponte Vedra Seashore valued at over $265,000
- A Patek Philippe Nautilus watch valued at over $95,000
- House furnishings
- Sports activities memorabilia
- Live performance tickets
- Private journey for himself and buddies involving luxurious lodges and personal jets
- Cryptocurrency and bets with on-line playing web sites
Prosecutors say losses from these playing bets heightened his use of the VCC for unlawful transactions.
Patel additionally reportedly spent Jaguars’ funds on a retainer with a prison protection regulation agency.
His legal professional mentioned his consumer has a “critical playing dependancy” and intends to plead responsible to each prices.
In keeping with CNN, Patel “waived his proper to an indictment, and the case will proceed based mostly on the sworn info filed by federal prosecutors.”
In an announcement, the group mentioned that for a number of months it had “cooperated totally with the FBI and the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace” for the U.S. District Court docket for the Center District of Florida throughout their investigations.
The group mentioned Patel had used his place as a supervisor of the Jaguars’ monetary planning and evaluation “to covertly and deliberately commit vital fraudulent monetary exercise on the group’s expense for private profit.”
The Jaguars added that Patel “had no entry to confidential soccer technique, personnel or different soccer info.”
The group mentioned that the regulation and accounting companies it employed to conduct a “complete impartial evaluate” concluded that no different group staff had been concerned in or conscious of the prison exercise.
How critical are wire fraud, unlawful financial transaction prices?
As for the seriousness of a federal cost of wire fraud (18 U.S.C. Part 1343), upon conviction, an individual charged with that crime can face a jail sentence of as much as 20 years and a superb of as much as $250,000.
Federal regulation on unlawful financial transactions (18 U.S.C. Part 1957) holds {that a} defendant, upon conviction, can face a jail sentence of as much as 10 years and a superb of as much as $500,000, or twice the worth of the financial instrument or funds concerned.
What are Texas’s legal guidelines on white-collar crimes?
Texas legal guidelines for such white-collar crimes goal the offense of “theft.”
As with fraud, theft includes taking one thing from somebody with out permission. However whereas theft includes the intent to take somebody’s property, fraud additionally considerations an intent to deceive in taking such property, cash or providers and, within the course of, to stage advanced schemes.
Who’s one of the best Houston fraud protection lawyer?
For those who or a member of the family within the Houston space faces an accusation or cost of fraud or another white-collar crime, it’s possible you’ll be in search of one of the best Houston white-collar prison protection legal professional or lawyer that yow will discover.
So-called white-collar crimes—or financially pushed, non-violent offenses—will be the premise of state prices in addition to federal prices, or each. These can result in years in jail and excessive fines. That’s why it’s important to interact a prime Houston-area prison protection regulation agency.
The Neal Davis Legislation Agency has years of expertise preventing for the authorized rights of Texans who’ve been accused of fraud or different white-collar crimes, corresponding to embezzlement, bribery, conspiracy, id theft, antitrust violations, counterfeiting or cash laundering. Actually, the regulation agency has repeatedly gained honors and awards for its work dealing with white-collar crime instances.
Contact us at this time on the Neal Davis Legislation Agency to rearrange a confidential session to your case. Your popularity, your livelihood and your freedom might rely on making the correct response to a critical white-collar crime cost or accusation.
