Fmr. Hawks Exec Gets Prison Time After Using Team Money For Jewelry, Trips

Ex-Atlanta Hawks Vice President of Finance Lester T. Jones, Jr. has been sentenced to more than three years in prison ... after embezzling $3.7 million in team money and charging luxurious vacations and jewelry purchases to the company credit card, officials announced.

U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg went IN on the 46-year-old former exec on Wednesday ... saying, "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."

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

Jones first joined the Hawks in 2016 ... and worked his way up the ladder before taking control of the org.'s American Express accounts in 2021. According to officials, he was the only employee with access to all the deets surrounding credit card activity.

And boy, did he take advantage of that -- he allegedly racked up an insane tab by filling out bogus expense reports and using the company card for personal use like luxury apparel, jewelry, watches and vacations.

A breakdown for the personal expenses on the AmEx was provided -- he spent $80k on trips to the Bahamas and Thailand, nearly $100k in Saks Fifth Avenue purchases, a $115k diamond ring, nearly $22k in watches and more than $160k for concerts and other events.