A longtime Atlanta Hawks executive has pleaded guilty in a federal fraud case, after prosecutors alleged that he stole more than $3.8 million from the NBA team over several years.

Lester T. Jones Jr., the Hawks' former Senior Vice President of Finance, changed his plea to guilty in federal court. A sentencing date has been set for March 24, 2026, according to court records.

Federal prosecutors charged Jones with one count of wire fraud, alleging he carried out the scheme from at least May 2017 through June 2025 while working in the team's accounting and finance department.

Jones joined the Hawks organization in 2016 and eventually became the most senior accounting executive under the team's chief financial officer. Prosecutors say he used his position and access to the team's bank accounts, expense reimbursement system, and corporate American Express cards to divert team funds for personal use.

According to court documents, Jones submitted — or directed others to submit — fraudulent expense reports, often using fake or altered invoices to seek reimbursement for expenses that never occurred. Prosecutors also allege he charged millions of dollars in personal expenses to company credit cards.

Those charges allegedly included luxury travel to destinations such as the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Switzerland, and Thailand, along with purchases from Louis Vuitton, Porsche-related expenses, jewelry, and sports and concert tickets.

Federal filings say Jones attempted to conceal the scheme by manipulating financial reports, altering emails, and falsely attributing large credit card balances to legitimate team operations.

Prosecutors also allege Jones exploited a weakness in the Hawks' expense reimbursement system that, prior to July 2024, did not display actual corporate credit card transactions to employees responsible for processing reimbursements.

One example cited in court records involves a January 2025 incident in which Jones allegedly submitted a fake invoice totaling $229,968 for a team event at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. Prosecutors say no such event or charge ever occurred. They allege Jones forwarded an altered American Express email to colleagues, approved the reimbursement himself, and then used the funds to pay off personal credit card charges.

As part of the case, Jones will be required to forfeit any money or property connected to the fraud, according to prosecutors.

The case is being handled in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

CBS News Atlanta reached out to the Atlanta Hawks organization for comment. The team declined to comment.