Former Hawks executive sentenced to more than 3 years in prison after embezzling millions from team

A former Atlanta Hawks finance executive was sentenced to more than three years in prison after he embezzled approximately $3.7 million from the team, according to The Associated Press.

Lester T. Jones Jr., who pleaded guilty to wire fraud in December, was sentenced to three years and five months in prison on Wednesday. The 46-year-old was arrested last year after a team-backed audit determined that he had been stealing from the team.

Jones first joined the Hawks in 2016, and took over as senior vice president for finance in 2021. In that role, he was responsible for the company’s corporate credit card and ran the team’s reimbursement program.

The issue came to light after Jones reportedly sent a request to the team’s accounting department trying to pay off a nearly $230,000 bill for a stay at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. While the Hawks were in the city around that time for the semifinals of the NBA Cup, there was no actual stay at the Wynn and the bill Jones was referencing didn’t exist. That was part of a years-long operation to steal money from the team in which he changed financial reports, faked emails and diverted personal spending to the Hawks’ operations accounts.

Jones, officials said, authorized multiple corporate cards for himself and built a lavish lifestyle for himself, including purchasing international trips, buying a Porsche, concert tickets and more. Jones was also reportedly in a romantic relationship with another team employee and used some of the money to buy her expensive gifts.

"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," U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said in a statement.

"But, for Jones and others who abuse their employers' trust to embezzle substantial funds, the gravy train's final destination is federal prison."

The Hawks declined to comment to The Associated Press. The team is in the middle of their opening-round playoff series with the New York Knicks. They trail 3-2 in the series entering Game 6 on Thursday night.