A former executive with the Atlanta Hawks is heading to federal prison after authorities uncovered a years-long scheme that siphoned millions from the organization’s finances. Lester T. Jones Jr., once a senior figure in the team’s accounting department, was sentenced to three years and five months behind bars for embezzling roughly $3.7 million through fraudulent reimbursements and unauthorized corporate spending.
According to the Department of Justice, Jones exploited his control over the Hawks’ expense systems and corporate credit cards to fund a high-end lifestyle. The 46-year-old submitted dozens of fake reimbursement requests and charged personal purchases directly to company accounts, disguising them as legitimate business expenses.
His activity stretched from early 2021 through mid-2025, overlapping with his rise to senior vice president of finance.
Jones joined the Hawks organization in 2016 and climbed the ranks to become one of its top financial decision-makers. By 2021, he had full oversight of the team’s American Express corporate card program and expense reimbursement platform, giving him near-total visibility into spending—and the ability to manipulate it without immediate detection. That level of internal access, investigators say, became the foundation of the scheme.
“Jones turned his dream job as a high-ranking executive for the Atlanta Hawks into an opportunity to steal the team’s funds,” U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said in a statement, citing purchases that included luxury apparel, jewelry, and travel.
Among the expenses detailed in court filings were nearly $100,000 spent at Saks Fifth Avenue, a diamond ring valued at more than $115,000, and tens of thousands of dollars in watches and international trips.
Authorities also pointed to the broader implications of the case. “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, noting that Jones used his authority to conceal the activity from colleagues and subordinates. He ultimately pleaded guilty to wire fraud in December 2025.
Jones has been ordered to pay nearly $3.9 million in restitution following the investigation led by the FBI. The Hawks organization declined to comment on the sentencing.
