A former Jacksonville Jaguars executive charged with stealing more than $22 million from the National Football League team said he plans to plead guilty to fraud.
U.S. prosecutors accused Amit Patel, the team’s former manager of financial planning and analysis, of stealing the money to fund a luxurious lifestyle that included private jet travel and a $95,000 Patek Philippe Nautilus watch. Patel’s lawyer, Alex King, said in a statement Thursday that his client "takes full responsibility for his actions” but said an out-of-control addiction to online sports betting was the main motive for the embezzlement.
"Approximately 99% of the funds” taken from the Jaguars was spent betting on the FanDuel and DraftKings sites or in a "horribly misguided effort” to make good his losses and repay the team, King said.