Ex-Eagles finance executive arrested for embezzling $3.8 million from Porsche, Holiday Racing
In yet another bad news for the league, a former Atlanta Hawks executive was arrested and charged with fraud and misappropriation of $3.8 million from the team. Competitor has been revealed.
“Jones, 46, of Atlanta, is accused of defrauding and embezzling $3.8 million from NBA teams, according to an indictment filed last week by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia. Multiple league sources told The Athletic that evidence of his alleged crimes was discovered through a team-backed audit.”
Daniel Jones reportedly came under scrutiny after submitting a payment request to the team's accounting department earlier this year. In January, Jones allegedly demanded $229,968.76 in American Express card charges from the organization for what he claimed were team-related stays at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas.
The fee, which appeared to be legal at the time, coincided with the Hawks' trip to the city for the NBA Cup semifinals, so the payment was approved.
However, federal prosecutors later said the hotel stay never occurred and the bill itself was fabricated. They claim the request was part of a broader, years-long scheme in which Jones siphoned money from the franchise during his nearly decade-long tenure.
Jones was previously romantically involved with another Hawks employee and was accused of using stolen money to give her lavish gifts, The Athletic reported.
Prosecutors allege Jones used his control of the team's American Express account to fund a lavish lifestyle. He allegedly had the authority to issue and approve expenses, creating multiple corporate cards for personal use for international vacations to destinations such as the Bahamas, Hawaii, Thailand and Switzerland.
He also reportedly purchased a Porsche, as well as tickets to concerts and other high-end events.
Federal authorities further allege Jones went to great lengths to conceal his actions, tampering with financial records, falsifying emails to legitimize spending and misclassifying personal expenses as team-related expenses. He now faces federal wire fraud charges.
He has since been relieved of his duties, pleaded not guilty and was released last week on $10,000 bail. His attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
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