Tr?id=566623520170033&ev=PageView&noscript=1

Former Fidelity Advisor Indicted for $2 Million Fraud Targeting Former Client

Posted on August 22nd, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Former Fidelity Advisor Indicted for $2 Million Fraud Targeting Former Client

From the desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law

Federal prosecutors have charged former Fidelity Investments advisor Eric James Stone with 10 counts of wire and mail fraud and five counts of money laundering, accusing him of orchestrating a $2 million scheme that exploited a former client for personal gain.

As reported by ThinkAdvisor, Stone is accused of defrauding a former Fidelity client through a prolonged pattern of deception that continued even after his employment with the firm ended. The alleged misconduct included soliciting personal loans under pretenses, fabricating communications, including bogus attorney communications, and leveraging digital payment methods to conceal and facilitate the fraud.

Stone worked for Fidelity in Jacksonville, Florida, from 2007 until June 2021. Fidelity terminated him after discovering that he had solicited personal loans from clients. ThinkAdvisor reports that such conduct led to a bar by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in 2023. According to prosecutors, Stone’s misconduct escalated after his termination.

Prosecutors say Stone directed the victim to transfer funds through various channels, including wire transfers, checks, Zelle, and cash deposits into Bitcoin ATMs. He also sent cryptocurrency wallet addresses and QR codes to solicit Bitcoin payments. In total, Stone allegedly induced at least 613 financial transactions totaling over $2 million, which he used to support gambling, personal travel, and to pay off debts.

 

Eccleston Law LLC represents investors and financial advisors nationwide in securities, employment, transition, regulatory, and disciplinary matters.

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, fidelity

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next
Quotes Bigger

Jim, Stephany and the whole team were a God send.  We felt like we were put into a situation where we had no advocate. Jim’s team came in with a strong, well laid out strategy on how to get our story heard. Where our outside compliance company had no ability to help, our Broker Dealer was impenitent, and the regulators were aggressive pursuing vague rules, Jim came like a barricade against an assault we did not understand. Though you pay member dues to be affiliated with FINRA and a B/D, you have no voice. The only thing that is truly heard in this un-level playing field is a bulldog’s bark like Jim’s. I would encourage anyone to call Jim and his team to find a real ally in the tough and complicated world of securities regulation. They are truly the best.

Greg P.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

1776796402 Law
April 21, 2026
DOL Proposal on Alternative Assets in 401(k)s Faces Cautious Reception

The U.S.

1776708210 Law
April 20, 2026
FINRA Suspends Former Cape Securities CCO for Supervision Failures Tied to GWG L Bonds and Complex ETPs

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) recently suspended and fined Lester Joel Hochler, the former Chief Compliance Officer of Cape Securities Inc., for failing to reasonably supervise recommendations of speculative debt securities and complex exchange-traded products to retail customers.

1776438642 Law
April 17, 2026
Florida Advisor Sentenced to 90 Months for Foreign Currency Ponzi Scheme and Tax Evasion

A federal court sentenced John A.