Ex-Atlanta Hawks Executive Sentenced In $3.7M Embezzlement Scheme
Lester T. Jones Jr., a former finance executive for the Atlanta Hawks, will not be attending games anytime soon.
According to ESPN, Jones was sentenced to three years and five months in prison for embezzling approximately $3.7 million from the team and ordered to pay $3,898,486.99 in restitution. Jones was convicted of “fraudulent expense reimbursement requests and misuse of corporate credit cards.”
Between 2016 and June 2025, Jones, the sole administrator of the team’s American Express account, concocted a scam that allowed him to hide his activities from other executives, according to reports.
According to ESPN, federal prosecutors detailed Jones’ opulent personal spending on team accounts, including a $115,795 diamond ring, nearly $100,000 in luxury apparel from Saks Fifth Avenue, and over $160,000 in event tickets. His globe-trotting expenses added another $80,000 for trips to the Bahamas and Thailand, supplemented by more than $21,000 in high-end Omega watches.
To pull off the scheme, reports clim Jones submitted dozens of fraudulent reimbursement requests, charged his personal expenses to the team’s corporate credit cards, and covered up the transactions with false documentation to other employees.
In December, Jones pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg released a statement by the Department of Justice about Jones’ sentencing.
“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,” Hertzberg wrote.
“But, for Jones and others who abuse their employers’ trust to embezzle substantial funds, the gravy train’s final destination is federal prison,” Hertzberg’s statement continued.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Jones began his tenure with the team in the Accounting and Finance Department in 2016. In August 2021, he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Finance in August 2021.
Marlo Graham, a special agent based in Atlanta, noted that Jones’ sentencing “underscores the significant damage that can be caused by insider threats within an organization.”
“Jones abused his authority and access to embezzle millions, but schemes like this are not immune from detection,” Graham said in a statement. “The FBI remains committed to investigating and disrupting financial crimes at every level.”
