Tiger Woods putter and private jets: Feds detail Jags ex-employee’s spending of stolen funds

Michael DiRocco, ESPN Staff WriterMar 7, 2024, 06:50 PM ET
Close

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Amit Patel, the former Jacksonville Jaguars employee who deposited $22 million stolen from the team primarily at FanDuel and DraftKings, spent $5 million on a “life of luxury,” including Tiger Woods’ 1996 putter and $78,800 in private jets, federal prosecutors said in a court filing Thursday.

Patel also spent $275,000 to retain his attorney, Alex King, according to the filing.

In the filing, prosecutors rebutted King’s assertion that his client’s behavior was fueled by gambling addiction and that “99% of the misappropriated funds” were used to pay back gambling losses. Instead, authorities say, $5 million went to his personal expenses.

According to the documents, Patel transferred approximately $20 million to FanDuel and $1 million to DraftKings, which ESPN previously reported, and used the rest of the stolen money on various other expenditures, including nearly $600,000 at Apple and more than $40,000 at Amazon and Best Buy combined.

He also transferred $5 million from his FanDuel and DraftKings accounts to his PayPal and other personal accounts, the filing said, and used it on a variety of purchases.

King and a representative from the U.S. Attorney’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

Patel continued to spend the stolen funds even after he was fired by the Jaguars in February 2023, including paying annual dues at his country club, according to the filing. He also purchased a game-used Trevor Lawrence jersey for $2,200 on eBay on Dec. 8, three days after prosecutors filed charges against him and six days before he pleaded guilty.

Prosecutors also included photos of Patel at Formula One’s Miami Grand Prix in May 2022, the Jaguars’ October 2022 game in London, the team’s January 2023 game in Kansas City and the 2023 Pegasus World Cup, a high-stakes horse race in Florida.

Among Patel’s numerous other purchases detailed in the court filing are:

More than $278,000 for hotels, rental properties and travel, including $78,800 for private jet charters
More than $200,000 for golf memorabilia, including $47,113.92 to purchase Tiger Woods’ 1996 U.S. Amateur Champion Scotty Cameron gifted putter
More than $77,000 at the private Ponte Vedra Beach Inn & Club, including a $25,581.30 initiation fee and $5,508.35 for spa treatments
$140,412.97 on eBay
$69,025.26 with Ticketmaster
A combined $70,362.06 with Delta, United, American, Southwest and JetBlue airlines
A combined $9,477.11 with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Jaguars Pro Shop, the stadium club and the stadium

Federal prosecutors are recommending an eight-year prison sentence. Patel had faced a maximum of 30 years in prison and up to a $500,000 fine after his Dec. 14 guilty plea on felony charges of wire fraud and illegal monetary transaction in U.S. District Court. He will be sentenced Tuesday.

Earlier this week, a judge denied King’s request to allow Dr. Scott Teitelbaum, a gambling addiction expert who treated Patel, to testify virtually at the sentencing.