A former Atlanta Hawks executive took lavish trips across the globe, bought concert tickets and even purchased a Porsche using the team’s credit cards, federal prosecutors said.
Lester Jones Jr.’s fraudulent purchases allegedly amounted to $3.8 million over nearly a decade with the organization, court records allege.
Now the team’s former senior vice president of financial planning and analysis faces a federal fraud charge after he spent years stealing money from the organization, a person familiar with the situation confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Federal court records show the Hawks learned of the scheme via “a team-backed audit” after Jones allegedly requested that the team pay off an American Express bill totaling nearly $230,000 for a stay at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas.
The visit reportedly took place during the Hawks’ NBA Cup semifinals run last season. But federal prosecutors said Jones never stayed at the Wynn last December, and therefore no bill existed.
Jones’ criminal fraud case was first reported by the Athletic.
Jones is accused of embezzling nearly $3.8 million between May 2017 and June of this year, federal records show.
Prosecutors allege he stole the funds by submitting “dozens of fraudulent expense reimbursement requests, including fictitious and altered invoices.”
He’s also accused of manipulating financial reports, doctoring emails and falsely attributing large credit card balances to team operations in order to conceal “hundreds of unauthorized transactions” on the team’s corporate credit cards.
Prosecutors said Jones, who controlled the Hawks’ American Express account, also authorized personal expenses that included trips to the Bahamas, Hawaii, Thailand, Switzerland and other countries, as well as the purchase of a Porsche, Louis Vuitton accessories, concert tickets and more.
Jones joined the organization in 2016 and was promoted several times, court records show. He is no longer with the team.
A spokesperson for the organization declined to comment.
Jones’ attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
As the senior vice president of finance, Jones was the most senior accounting executive within the organization after the chief financial officer. His supervisory duties included handling payroll, accounts payable, financial planning, accounting, and employee expense reimbursements, authorities said. Jones also assisted with the preparation of the team’s financial statements and budgets.
The Athletic reported that Jones had a romantic relationship with another team employee, and that he allegedly used some of the money to purchase expensive gifts for her. The Hawks no longer employ the woman, and it’s unknown whether she was aware of the alleged scheme.
Records show Jones pleaded not guilty and was released on a $10,000 bond last week.
— Staff writer Shaddi Abusaid contributed to this article.
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