Source: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6774870/2025/11/03/lester-jones-hawks-finance-vp-charged-embezzling/?source=user_shared_article

Last January, an Atlanta Hawks finance executive sent what seemed like a routine request to the team’s accounting department. He asked that the franchise pay off a $229,968.76 American Express bill for a stay at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas the month before. The Hawks made a detour there for the NBA Cup, where they advanced to the semifinals, and Lester Jones, the team’s senior vice president of financial planning and analysis, wanted the bill paid. A team accountant obliged.

But there was no stay at the Wynn, according to federal prosecutors, and no bill for it. It was allegedly part of a yearslong con by Jones to steal money from the Hawks, who employed him in their finance department for nearly a decade.

Jones, 46, of Atlanta, was charged with fraud and embezzling $3.8 million from the NBA franchise, according to an indictment brought last week by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. Evidence of his alleged crimes was uncovered through a team-backed audit, multiple league sources told The Athletic.

42 comments

  3. also

    > Jones was in a romantic relationship with another team employee, multiple league sources said, and he used some of the money he is accused of stealing to buy her expensive gifts

  5. It starts with something small and ur integrity is broken. U start wondering how far u can take it and u end up like this idiot

  7. It’s almost like this is the Roman coliseum except we added Las Vegas to it. What could go wrong? Seems ethically sound

  10. About damn time the nba has started having some more big scandals it’s been too clean too long

  11. I work in a niche field and I borrow equipment from work to use recreationally, and eventually return the equipment without nobody ever noticing. and this is enough to make me feel uneasy morally sometimes. I can only imagine having to think of the gameplan to steal $3.8 million from the company that I work for

  13. Won’t be the last nba executive to be caught embezzling money tbh . It’s pretty clear corruption is rampant in the nba .

  15. We’re trading players away for cash considerations and this guy’s taking vacations and buying Porsche with blood money…

  17. As someone who works in finance it always baffles me that people in the same field ever think they can get away with this type of shit. You are 99.9% going to jail. There should be no temptation great enough to risk that…

  19. Not even the biggest theft in Atlanta after the Hawks nabbed that first round pick from the pelicans

  20. Flat earth and parallel science is so last year. Good to see we have a new trend this year.

  23. LOL. Maybe the DOJ can go after the FBI director Kash Patel for doing exactly the same thing on the taxpayer dime.

  24. Accountant: I don’t remember the whole team going to Paris . . . .

    Jones: Just pay the bill, dammit!

  25. I wonder if some of this is dust getting kicked up from the major betting bust.

    Not that they are connected, but the Feds looking at a ton of teams and people and seeing threads.

    Although this seems like the Hawks might have uncovered and reported it themselves.

  27. as a black man, i saw the name lester, and i had to go look…..Dammmit 🤦🏾‍♂️🤣

  32. > He asked that the franchise pay off a $229,968.76 American Express bill for a stay at the Wynn Hotel

    noyce.

  35. I am so glad its just regular embezzlement that anyone can get behind, and not illegal gambling/throwing games.

  41. Are everyone in NBA taking stupid pill and no longer able to do risk reward analysis.

    As a financial executive he could had made 3.5 mil from his job in 10 years without risk of prison and never be able to work in his field ever again.

    Even worst is Billup that make several mil a year risking jail time to make 50k for each poker game

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