Lester Crest

Updated 29 October 2026 · Fan site. Not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive.

Lester Crest is a hacker and heist planner from Grand Theft Auto V (2013). An old associate of Michael De Santa and Trevor Philips, he plans the game's big robberies from his home in Los Santos. He is also a key contact in GTA Online, where he runs the first heists, the Doomsday Heist and the Diamond Casino Heist. Jay Klaitz voices him.

Who is Lester Crest?

Lester Crest is the brains behind most of the big jobs in Grand Theft Auto V, which came out on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on 17 September 2013, according to Wikipedia. He is a skilled hacker who works from home, surrounded by screens, and he prefers to watch the world rather than step into it.

Wikipedia describes him as a disabled hacker and an old friend of Michael De Santa. The GTA Wiki explains that a muscle-wasting illness keeps him mostly in a wheelchair, though he can walk short distances with a cane. It also describes him as socially awkward, well read on politics and big business, and suspicious that he is being watched.

What is Lester's history with Michael and Trevor?

According to the GTA Wiki, Lester once worked in the Midwest as a planner and scout for a crew of bank robbers that included Michael and Trevor Philips. He refused to take part in the 2004 robbery in Ludendorff, a job that went badly wrong and left Michael apparently dead and another crew member, Brad, under arrest. Lester later settled in Los Santos and kept a quiet eye on his old partners.

The GTA Wiki also says he was turned down for a computer science teaching job at a university in Los Santos and took revenge by hacking its staff server. It is a small detail, but it sets up his grudges against powerful institutions.

What does Lester do in GTA V?

Michael goes back to Lester when he needs money fast, after he angers the cartel boss Martin Madrazo. Wikipedia says Lester helps with the jewellery store robbery that pays off Michael's debt. The GTA Wiki adds that Lester only agreed to help once Michael had killed Jay Norris, the head of the social network Lifeinvader and a man Lester hated, and that Lester made money on Lifeinvader shares along the way.

From then on, Lester is the planner the crew depends on. Wikipedia lists his help with the armoured car attack, the theft of a nerve agent and the break-in at the FIB building, and his part in planning the last big job, the raid on the gold reserve of the Union Depository. The GTA Wiki also credits him with a set of hits for Franklin Clinton that were timed to move the stock market, so the crew could profit from the share prices.

Lester also tries to keep the crew out of bigger trouble. The GTA Wiki says he talks Trevor into handing back a stolen weapon taken from the private military firm Merryweather, rather than risk being chased by governments. In the ending called The Third Way, he helps lure their corrupt FIB and Merryweather enemies into a trap at a foundry and then tracks down the rest of the people who want them dead.

How do heists work in GTA V?

Wikipedia explains that heists are large, multi-stage missions. Some let the player choose between a quiet approach, such as knocking out people in a store with gas, and a loud one with weapons drawn. The player also hires computer-controlled helpers with skills such as hacking or driving. Surviving helpers take a cut of the money and can come back later with better skills. Lester is the character who brings these plans together. Our GTA heists page covers the jobs across the series.

Is Lester Crest in GTA Online?

Yes. Lester is one of the most important contacts in Grand Theft Auto Online. The GTA Wiki notes that he first gets in touch with players as they level up, offering services and contact missions. Wikipedia lists his part in three major updates:

According to the GTA Wiki, the first set of Online heists includes the Fleeca Job and leads up to the Pacific Standard job. For the casino robbery, Lester uses an arcade as a front. The GTA Wiki also reports that in a 2024 update he sells the player his old garment factory and says he has retired.

Who voices Lester Crest?

Lester is played by Jay Klaitz, who provided both his voice and his motion capture, according to the GTA Wiki. Wikipedia also names Klaitz as the voice of the character.