The Jacksonville Jaguars are suing a former employee who embezzled $22 million from them to fund his daily fantasy sports addiction.
The Jaguars filed the lawsuit in Florida state court Thursday. The team seeks $66.6 million in damages from former financial manager and fantasy sports addict Amit Patel, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud and engaging in illegal monetary transactions last December.
The lawsuit, first reported by ESPN, accuses Patel of civil theft, breaching fiduciary duty, and making fraudulent misrepresentations. The basis for those accusations lies largely in Patel’s confessions during federal court proceedings.
Patel already on hook for $22 million
Patel admitted to using $20 million of team money to fund his personal FanDuel DFS account, where he was a VIP, and spending an extra $1.8 million with DraftKings. According to court documents, he transferred $5 million out of those accounts to spend on luxuries like golf memorabilia and private jets, a claim his lawyer previously disputed.
Patel was ordered to repay the stolen funds and sentenced to 6.5 years in prison, which he is serving in Williamsburg federal prison in South Carolina.
After telling the court he suffers from a serious gambling addiction, Patel was also ordered to attend Gamblers Anonymous meetings.
Jags unlikely to collect from fantasy sports user
Gaming legal expert John Holden pointed out that Florida allows plaintiffs to seek triple in damages, which is generally a more desirable outcome than in other states:
“This is the case even, if, as is likely here, there is little possibility that the Jaguars ever see anywhere close to the money they seek. While it is unlikely that the team ever recovers anywhere close to the money lost from the defendant, the lawsuit, if the Jaguars prevail, could establish priority and serve as a vehicle to go after assets that the defendant lawfully owed unconnected from the fraud.”
Representatives with FanDuel declined to comment on a report that the Jaguars asked them to pay back the funds.