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

Former LPL Advisor Receives 8-Year Prison Sentence For Misappropriation of Client Funds

Posted on January 31st, 2023 at 1:30 PM
Former LPL Advisor Receives 8-Year Prison Sentence For Misappropriation of Client Funds

From the Desk of Jim Eccleston at Eccleston Law.

A former LPL financial advisor recently was sentenced to more than eight years in prison, or 100 months, for his role in a scheme that misappropriated $2.8 million from six clients.

The former Massachusetts-based advisor, James Couture, pleaded guilty in September to four counts of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of investment advisor fraud, and one count of witness tampering. Prosecutors allege that Couture misappropriated $2.8 million between 2009 and 2020 by transferring funds out of six client accounts and investing the funds in fictitious mutual funds before selling other client’s positions to pay investment returns. In one instance, Couture sold a client’s variable annuities in June 2016 to pay withdrawals to another client, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors further allege that Couture forged several client signatures and improperly convinced clients to sign documents by falsely claiming that transaction proceeds would be used for the client’s benefit. “Couture also stole from clients using their own profit-sharing plans and conducting transactions in their names to disguise his fraudulent transactions”, according to prosecutors.

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

Tags: eccleston, eccleston law, advisors, law, sec, lpl

Return to Archive

TESTIMONIALS

Previous
Next
Quotes Bigger

Thank you so very much for your guidance, patience, and expertise.

Beth and Steve K.

LATEST NEWS AND ARTICLES

1777309136 Law
April 27, 2026
Blackstone's Private Credit Fund (BCRED) Meets Record Redemption Demand

Blackstone Inc.

1777047237 Law
April 24, 2026
Geopolitical Tensions Prompt Wealth Advisors to Rethink Dubai Strategies

Recent geopolitical developments have forced wealth advisors to reassess client exposure to Dubai, a jurisdiction that has attracted significant ultra-high-net-worth capital over the past decade.

1776963542 Law
April 23, 2026
Advisor Recruiting Surges in 2025 as Industry Movement Reaches New Highs

Advisor movement across the wealth management industry accelerated sharply in 2025, with 11,172 experienced financial advisors changing firms, according to reporting by Wealth Management citing the latest Advisor Transition Report from Diamond Consultants.