A former Atlanta Hawks executive was arrested and charged with fraud and embezzling $3.8 million from the franchise earlier this month, according to The Athletic.
Lester Jones, 46, was charged last week in Georgia after his alleged crimes were uncovered through a team-backed audit, per the report. Jones pleaded not guilty, and was released on bond. Jones, who was the team’s senior vice president of financial planning and analysis, is no longer employed by the Hawks.
The issue, apparently, came to light after Jones sent a request to the team’s accounting department in January. He was looking for the team to pay off a $229,968.76 American Express bill for a stay at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. The stay was allegedly taking place around the time that the Hawks were in the city for the semifinals of the NBA Cup. So, as everything seeming normal, that bill was paid by the team.
But federal prosecutors said there was actually no stay at the Wynn, and the bill that Jones was referencing didn’t actually exist. That was part of what they said was a years-long operation to steal money from the team, who he worked for for nearly a decade.
Prosecutors said that Jones controlled the team’s American Express card account and was able to authorize charges in his role with the team. He had allegedly authorized multiple corporate cards for himself, too. Jones allegedly built a lavish lifestyle for himself while stealing money from the team, including purchasing trips to the Bahamas, Hawaii, Thailand, Switzerland and other countries He also reportedly bought 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. That woman also no longer works for the Hawks, though it’s unclear if she was aware of the alleged embezzlement. In total, prosecutors said that Jones stole nearly $4 million from the team.
Jones allegedly changed financial reports, faked emails and diverted personal spending to the Hawks’ operations accounts to hide his personal use on the team’s card. He reportedly faked an email from American Express to trick the Hawks into paying for the fraudulent Wynn hotel bill in January, for example.
The team has not commented on the incident.
The Hawks went 40-42 last season, their second under coach Quin Snyder, and missed the playoffs for a second straight year. They hold a 3-4 record entering their matchup with the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night.
