A former finance executive with the Atlanta Hawks, Lester T. Jones Jr., has been sentenced to three years and five months in prison after stealing roughly $3.7 million from the organization.
Authorities say he carried out the scheme through fake expense reimbursements and unauthorized use of company credit cards, funding a lifestyle that included luxury goods, travel, and entertainment.
“Jones turned his dream job as a high-ranking executive for the Atlanta Hawks into an opportunity to steal the team’s funds, purchasing luxury apparel, jewelry, watches, and trips for himself,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “But, for Jones and others who abuse their employers’ trust to embezzle substantial funds, the gravy train’s final destination is federal prison.”
“This case underscores the significant damage that can be caused by insider threats within an organization,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Jones abused his authority and access to embezzle millions, but schemes like this are not immune from detection. The FBI remains committed to investigating and disrupting financial crimes at every level.”
According to prosecutors, Jones joined the Hawks’ finance department in 2016 and eventually rose to Senior Vice President of Finance in 2021, becoming the top accounting official beneath the chief financial officer.
Around that time, he gained full control over the team’s corporate American Express program and expense reimbursement system, giving him broad oversight of spending and internal processes.
Between 2021 and mid-2025, he used that access to orchestrate the fraud in two main ways: submitting fake reimbursement claims for nonexistent business expenses and charging personal purchases to corporate credit cards while concealing them with false documentation.
Investigators say the money went toward high-end shopping, including nearly $100,000 at Saks Fifth Avenue, a diamond ring worth over $115,000, luxury watches, international trips, and more than $160,000 on event tickets.
Jones, 46, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in December 2025 and was also ordered to repay nearly $3.9 million, followed by three years of supervised release after his prison term.
ATLANTA – A former Atlanta Hawks accounting executive, Lester T. Jones, Jr., has been sentenced to three years and five months in prison for embezzling approximately $3.7 million from the NBA team through fraudulent expense reimbursement requests and misuse of corporate credit… pic.twitter.com/ecq210Q4Y4
— US Attorney NDGA (@NDGAnews) April 29, 2026
