JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The former financial planning manager for the Jacksonville Jaguars accused of stealing more than $22 million from the franchise was an Uber driver in Jacksonville, a man who spoke to News4JAX said.
Amit Patel met with NFL officials back in February who were investigating his gambling activities, which primarily involved daily fantasy sports betting on websites like DraftKings and FanDuel. He was eventually fired for allegedly using millions of the Jaguars money to fund his gambling addiction, according to his lawyers.
Chris Chaney, one of Patel’s recent Uber riders found out who the man was behind the wheel.
“He didn’t seem like somebody who had the feds on his on his tail, or had something coming this way. He seemed very nice, helpful and a little chatty, to be honest,” Chaney said.
Chaney was just in Jacksonville from Ohio for the Monday Night Football game against the Bengals. He said he didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary about Patel, who picked him up from the airport in a shiny black Telsa.
When Chaney got back home later in the week, he saw a picture of Patel, his name, and a news headline leading him to check his Uber receipt to confirm it was indeed Patel who drove him and his wife to Ponte Vedra Beach.
Chaney said Patel told him he was recently laid off from his job with the Jacksonville Jaguars as part of the team’s financial restructuring. Patel never mentioned that he was accused of stealing more than $22 million from the franchise’s virtual credit card program.
“It’s crazy in hindsight to think about what this guy had going on in his life,” Chaney said.
Patel is accused of using the money to buy a Tesla, a condominium, sports memorabilia, a country club membership, spa treatments, and chartered private jets for him and his friends. He’s also accused of buying cryptocurrency and a $95,000 designer watch.
Chaney said he never saw the watch, nor did they speak about sports gambling during the ride.
Patel’s attorney said he is deeply remorseful and apologized for his conduct and remains in treatment and recovery for his gambling addiction.
“Anybody [who] struggles with that kind of stuff, you hope [they] get it figured out. But I mean, that kind of behavior, I guess, has to be reckoned for,” Chaney said.
Patel worked for the Jacksonville Jaguars for five years starting in 2018 and is charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of illegal monetary transactions in documents.