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 cards.
“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 U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Jones joined the Accounting and Finance Department of ATL Hawks, LLC (“the Hawks”) in 2016. Following his promotion to Senior Vice President of Finance in August 2021, Jones became the most senior accounting executive for the Hawks after the Chief Financial Officer.
Beginning in early 2021, Jones became the sole administrator of the Hawks’ corporate credit card account with American Express. In this role, Jones supervised the Hawks’ corporate American Express credit card program; served as American Express’s sole contact with the Hawks in the event of payment issues, delays, and card suspensions; and determined when and to which employees corporate credit cards should be issued. Jones was the only Hawks employee with full visibility into the number of corporate credit cards, the identities of the cardholders, account balances, and other program details. Jones also began serving as administrator of the Hawks’ electronic reimbursement platform, supervising employees who handled expense reimbursements.
From a date unknown and continuing through in or about June 2025, Jones used his position to defraud the Hawks out of approximately $3.7 million dollars. Jones accomplished his scheme in two ways: (1) by submitting or directing the submission of dozens of fraudulent expense reimbursement requests to cause the Hawks to reimburse him for fictitious business expenses; and (2) by charging personal expenses to corporate credit cards and covering it up through false representations to other Hawks employees, including to his subordinates in the Accounting and Finance Department. Those personal expenses included approximately $80,000 in overseas travel to the Bahamas and Thailand, $99,800 in apparel at Saks Fifth Avenue, a $115,795.01 diamond ring, $21,888.90 in Omega watches, and over $160,000 in tickets to concerts and other events.
Lester Jones, Jr., 46, of Atlanta, Georgia, has been sentenced to three years, five months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $3,898,486.99. Jones pleaded guilty to wire fraud on December 16, 2025.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bernita Malloy prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Northern District of Georgia — U.S. Department of Justice press release.