JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A federal judge sentenced Eric James Stone, 43, of St. Augustine to more than six years in prison for fraud involving the financial advisor’s dealing with a 75-year-old woman.
Stone was also ordered to pay more than $2 million in restitution to his victim, according U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe.
According to court documents, Stone used his position as a financial advisor to befriend the victim and solicit money from her over three years.
Stone convinced the victim to make over 600 transactions. To convince her to send him money, he sent fraudulent emails from purported attorneys, banks, and other internet websites.
The prosecutors said Stone spent most of the victim’s money on foreign gambling websites.
“Our seniors are among our nation’s most vulnerable population and must be protected,” Kehoe said. “The defendant in this case used his position of trust to deliberately deceive and exploit the victim for his own personal gain. For that, he will be punished for his crimes.”
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This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.
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