Assistant to NBA player stole $4.7 million to fund family’s ‘lavish lifestyle,’ feds say

According to recent reports, the former personal assistant of ex-NBA player and ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson has been sentenced to several years in prison after an investigation uncovered that he stole millions from Jefferson.

Theodore Kritza, 46-years-old, had previously pleaded guilty to bank wire and fraud, as noted in an April 20 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.

Kritza first started working for the professional basketball player, who over the course of his career played with teams including the Golden State Warriors, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, in 2005.

He functioned as Jefferson’s personal assistant, where he was responsible for several tasks, like paying the player’s bills. Over a time period of several years, Kritza stole roughly $4.7 million from Jefferson by faking his signature on documents.

Prosecutors noted that Kritza forged signatures on business loans, credit line applications, and his power of attorney. He further opened a bank account under Jefferson’s name to keep his theft under cover, according to the release.

Kritza went on to steal money from Jefferson’s various salaries while in the NBA, endorsement contracts, and even the sale of his condo.

He used the money in order to fund a “lavish lifestyle” for himself and his family that included several luxury cars, houses, vacations, private school tuition, and investments. Prosecutors added that Kritza even tried to purchase an airplane. 

“For years, Theodore Kritza preyed upon the trust he gained with the victim and defrauded him of his hard-earned money and savings, choosing greed over trust. Today, Kritza found out the cost of his scheme,” said Sean Kaul, special agent in charge of the FBI Phoenix Field Office.

“This sentencing sends a clear message that fraud is a serious crime, with serious consequences. The FBI remains committed to pursuing justice for all victims of fraud.”

Kritza’s sentence includes 70 months in prison with five years of supervised release. He has also been ordered to pay $4,794,874 in restitution.