An ex-employee of the National Football League franchise Jacksonville Jaguars is facing serious time after being charged for stealing an astonishing $22 million of the team’s funds. The now former employee, Jay Donnavan Hayes, is accused of using a forged signature to transfer the considerable sum of money to his personal account.
What Hayes then proceeded to do with the money has sounded like the details from a Hollywood movie. He reportedly traveled around the world on a luxurious shopping spree. According to Duval County court investigation documents, Hayes spent the money on items such as expensive Tiffany jewelry, vacations to exotic countries, and even a $900,000 Mercedes-Maybach.
Authorities were alerted to these sudden purchases after discovering Hayes was a former employee of the Jacksonville Jaguars and an internal audit was quickly established. The government has ruled that Hayes must pay the exact sum stolen back to the Jaguars. It is also likely that he will face imprisonment after a decision is made following his trial. Hayes could face up to 15 years in jail as well as a hefty fine for his crimes.
This event is just one of many cases involving misappropriation and theft of funds from major sports teams across the nation. In light of this incident, professional franchises across all leagues are being encouraged to review their security policies and financial practice in order to protect their finances even further. Taking the steps to prevent such crimes from happening in the future can save teams both time and money as they attempt to build up their squads in order to compete with the leagues’ rivals.
