Lester T. Jones Jr., a former executive of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, has been accused of stealing millions of dollars from the team and using the funds to pay for travel, luxury apparel, jewelry, car expenses, and tickets to concerts and sporting events.
According to The Associated Press, federal prosecutors have charged the former exec with a single count of wire fraud, after claiming he arranged for the NBA team to pay
a-slot="/21868623726/site264.tmus/amp2" data-multi-size="320x50,300x250" data-multi-size-validation="false" rtc-config='{"vendors": {"prebidappnexuspsp": {"PLACEMENT_ID": "27198239"}}, "timeoutMillis": 500}'> American Express nearly $230,000 for “fraudulently incurred personal expenses.” The filing states that he altered an email to make it appear that the reimbursement request was for expenses incurred while in Las Vegas at the Wynn Hotel during the NBA Emirates Cup.In a court appearance on Oct. 29, Jones pleaded not guilty and was granted bond. He was ordered to notify the court within 15 days whether he would enter a guilty plea to the charge or go to trial.
Jones is also accused of embezzling almost $4 million while employed by the Hawks. He allegedly submitted dozens of fraudulent expense reimbursement requests, which included fake and altered invoices, while charging millions of dollars in personal expenses to corporate credit cards. Some of the expenses included travel to foreign locales such as the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, and Thailand. He is also accused of purchasing Louis Vuitton apparel and incurring expenses for a Porsche. Prosecutors say that he embezzled more than $3.8 million.
Jones, who is no longer with the Hawks, had been employed in the accounting and finance department since March 2016, overseeing the company’s corporate credit card account with American Express and the electronic expense reimbursement program until June 2025.
A spokesperson for the Hawks declined to comment on the allegations.
USA Today reported that Jones has also been charged with federal wire fraud for allegedly faking emails and altering reports to cover his alleged activities.
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