In a shocking turn of events, a former employee of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars has been charged with stealing over $22 million from the team. The attorney representing the accused, Amit Patel, revealed that his client plans to plead guilty to federal charges of wire fraud and illegal monetary transaction. Patel's lawyer attributed his actions to a "serious gambling addiction," shedding light on the motivations behind his crime.

According to Alex King, the attorney representing Patel, the former employee developed a gambling problem, primarily betting on football and participating in daily fantasy sports. As Patel's losses mounted, he resorted to fraudulently obtaining money from the team's virtual credit card (VCC) program to cover his gambling expenses.

"What started as a small amount escalated uncontrollably, as is often the case," stated King in a telephone interview with The Athletic on Thursday.

The National Football League (NFL) first contacted Patel in February, initiating an investigation into his activities. Patel had reportedly used his own name while placing bets, although it remains unclear whether he specifically bet on Jaguars games. Shortly after his meeting with NFL officials, the Jaguars terminated Patel's employment.

In a news release, King revealed that approximately 99 percent of the funds from the team's virtual credit card program were lost to gambling, predominantly on platforms such as FanDuel and DraftKings. King emphasized that Patel takes full responsibility for his actions and sought assistance by voluntarily entering an inpatient rehabilitation program for his addiction earlier this year.

"The majority of the funds Mr. Patel utilized from the VCC were spent on gambling websites in an attempt to recoup losses, with the intention of repaying the team with his winnings," explained King in a statement. "Unfortunately, Mr. Patel's compulsive gambling only worsened the situation, leading to a continued misappropriation of funds."

King asserted that the most significant losses occurred in the final months preceding the NFL's investigation. He refuted claims that Patel had used the misappropriated funds for an extravagant lifestyle, asserting that they were solely aimed at paying off previous gambling debts tied to the team's VCC program.

Patel, who held positions as coordinator of financial planning and analysis, and later as manager of financial planning and analysis within the Jaguars organization, had authority over the VCC program. Court documents filed in U.S. District Court in Jacksonville revealed that Patel allegedly engaged in fraudulent transactions starting in September 2019. To conceal his actions, Patel duplicated reoccurring VCC transactions, inflated legitimate amounts, and fabricated transactions that sounded plausible but never occurred.

According to King, Patel has fully cooperated with the Jaguars, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the U.S. Attorney's Office throughout their investigation. King anticipated that his client would face jail time, pending the outcome of the pre-sentence investigation report conducted by the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office.

This shocking case raises questions about the checks and balances within organizations and highlights the destructive impact of gambling addictions. As Patel prepares to face the consequences of his actions, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the NFL will undoubtedly be examining their internal processes to prevent similar incidents in the future.