While the NBA playoffs and the New York Knicks getting badgered by their sworn enemies have taken our attention, the Atlanta Hawks have had to deal with a completely different situation back home. Well, it’s not their current problem, but Lester T. Jones Jr. used to be on their payroll. He was the Senior Vice President of Finance for the Hawks until June 2025. The split was not on good terms, as he was accused of embezzling approximately $3.7 million from the NBA franchise. Almost a year later, he was sentenced on Wednesday to three years and five months in federal prison for the same.

Jones, 46, had previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in December 2025, following a multi-year scheme in which he diverted team funds to fund an extravagant lifestyle. In addition to his prison term, the court has ordered Jones to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $3,898,486.99 in restitution.

Jones began his tenure with the Hawks in March 2016 and rose through the ranks of the accounting and finance department. His salary went from $90,000 to $300,000. By August 2021, he had been promoted to Senior VP, making him the team’s top accounting exec reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the verdict came with a striking victim impact statement by Hawks Executive VP Scott Wilkinson, on behalf of the franchise. He said that beyond the financial damage, Jones has sown distrust and “significant trauma” in the Hawks community.

“He would create fear and sow dissension,” Wilkinson said about his former colleague. “He has an extremely troubled relationship with the truth.” For butchering what could’ve been an honest career, U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg also verbally put him on blast.

“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,” Hertzberg said in a statement following the sentencing. “But, for Jones and others who abuse their employers’ trust to embezzle substantial funds, the gravy train’s final destination is federal prison.”

Investigators found that from approximately early 2021 through June 2025, Jones utilized his position to defraud the team through two primary methods: submitting dozens of fraudulent business expense reimbursement requests and misusing corporate American Express accounts.

Executive Authority and the Misuse of Atlanta Hawks Credit Accounts

The investigation revealed that Jones maintained exclusive oversight of the Hawks’ corporate credit card program, serving as the sole administrator and the primary contact for American Express. This lack of internal oversight allowed him to charge millions in personal expenses to company cards while misrepresenting the transactions to subordinates to avoid detection. The stolen funds were used to purchase a variety of luxurious items and experiences:

• Jewelry: Approximately $115,795 for a diamond engagement ring. The engagement ring was for his partner, Donnie Frazier, also a former Hawks employee.
• Watches: Nearly $21,889 for Omega watches. Federal authorities reportedly seized $750,000 worth of timepieces.

• Luxury Retail: Almost $100,000 in apparel and goods from Saks Fifth Avenue.

• Non-Team-Related Travel: More than $80,000 for vacations to Thailand and the Bahamas, including a timeshare here.

• Entertainment: Over $160,000 for concert and event tickets, including $137,500 for Beyonce’s concert.

The judge reportedly felt this list looked straight out of a Hollywood movie. Prosecutors said Jones submitted dozens of fraudulent expense reimbursement requests. And the oblivious Hawks would reimburse him for fictitious business expenses. An internal investigation by the team revealed that Jones had, in fact, lied his way into the job that allowed him to embezzle. Before joining the team, he was fired from Home Depot for submitting tens of thousands of dollars in false employee expense reimbursement requests, Wilkinson said. Jones has reportedly denied this accusation.

Jones’ misconduct also harmed minority employees, mostly women, with false assurances about their pregnancy and maternity leaves. Wilkinson said this caused “paranoia and distrust,” and “deep emotional and cultural harm.”

At his sentencing, Jones formally apologized to the Hawks organization and his former colleagues. Yet the judge didn’t soften to his plea for a lighter sentence.

The Hawks have not released a public statement on the ordeal. But according to Wilkinson, the team is healing from the cultural damage Jones caused.