Former Jaguars employee 'is sued by the team for $66MILLION' after admitting to stealing $22m from franchise

The Jacksonville Jaguars have reportedly sued a former employee for $66.6million in damages - months after he admitted to stealing $22million from the team.

Amit Patel, a former financial manager for the Jaguars, pleaded guilty  in December to stealing millions through a virtual credit card system used for expenses in Jacksonville.

And now the franchise is looking to recoup more than three times the amount he stole, as reported by ESPN, after the high-stakes gambler used the money to pay off massive losses and fund a 'life of luxury,' the network said.

The team is accusing Patel of fraudulent misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty and civil theft.

Patel has already been ordered by a Florida court to pay more than $21million in restitution, and he was sentenced to 78 months in prison.

While Patel committed his crimes over a three-and-a-half year period, the Jaguars said in a Thursday court filing that he stole the majority of the money, $20million, in the span of eight months.

Citing the court filing, ESPN said that Patel sent $20million to FanDuel and $1million to DraftKings.

Patel's attorney, Alex King, previously said that his client suffers from a gambling addiction and that 'approximately 99% of the funds misappropriated from the Jaguars' VCC were gambling losses'. 

King also said his client is 'deeply remorseful' and is receiving treatment for his addiction.

The 31-year-old worked for the Jaguars organization from 2018 until February 2023, after betting site FanDuel alerted the NFL to his activity a month prior.

He was accused of using the stolen funds to buy two vehicles - a Tesla and Nissan pickup truck - a condominium in nearby Ponte Vedra Beach, a designer watch for $95,000 and cryptocurrency.

He also allegedly used the money to buy sports memorabilia, a country club membership, spa treatments and tickets to sporting events and concerts. And he chartered private jets for himself and friends and lodged a retainer with a criminal defense law firm.

Patel reportedly transferred $5million from his gambling accounts to his PayPal and other personal accounts to fund his lifestyle.

The Jaguars have asked FanDuel to reimburse some or all of the $20million that Patel put into the site, ESPN said.