Ex-FBI Agent Charged In $800,000 Wire Fraud Scheme

By - June 5, 2021
Views: 268

An ex-FBI agent who allegedly convinced a woman that she was on ‘secret’ probation and stole $800,000 from her has been federally charged, according to US Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah.

William R. Stone, 62, was last week on seven counts of wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, and false impersonation of a federal officer.

The federal indictment states that Stone allegedly convinced the victim – only identified in federal charging documents as C.T. – that she had been placed on ‘secret’ probation for drug trafficking and possession crimes in Austin, Texas.

Stone allegedly told C.T. that a fictitious federal judge in Austin had appointed him and another man to supervise her and said that conditions of her probation involved reporting to him a list of her assets.

He also told the victim that she had to pay expenses that he incurred while under his supervision. Further, she was not allowed to talk about her probation status with anyone. If she failed to honor the terms of the ‘secret’ probation, Stone said, she could be sent to federal prison and lose her children.

Went To Great Lengths To Convince Victim Her ‘Secret’ Probation Was Real

Stone claimed that he could monitor the woman’s cell phone texts and phone calls, and he also said he talked about her probation with mental health professionals. He even had another person leave voice mails on his cell phone that were supposedly from the DEA. Stone also made fake calls between himself, the victim, and a fictitious judge.

He told the victim that he’d had significant expenses when he traveled to Austin to talk about the probation with the judge. Stone also intimidated her into paying him for costs associated with the trips to Texas.

In addition, he took money from C.T. that he said was restitution for a company that had been wronged, but he put the money in his bank account.

Stone eventually talked her into handing over hundreds of thousands of dollars so he could buy cars and a home. He even said he would marry her so he could get her probation discharged.

Over several years, the victim gave Stone more than $800,000.

How Did Stone Keep The Fraud Going For Three Years?

The FBI has not answered questions about what Stone did when he was an agent, whether he met the victim through his work, and whether they were romantically involved.

Stone retired from the FBI in 2015, and at some point right after that, he got in contact with the victim from Granbury, Texas. It’s unclear how he was able to keep this scam going for more than three years.

His attorney has told the media that Stone denies the allegations and looks forward to fighting the charges in federal court.

An official with the Department of Justice said last week that Stone threatened, conned, and stole from C.T. and exploited her trust in federal law enforcement for his financial gain.

If Stone is convicted, he could receive up to 178 years in federal prison.

Other FBI Agent Federal Crime Charges In The News

Other FBI agents have been recently charged with federal crimes, as well. In Maryland outside of Washington DC, an FBI agent was charged this week with attempted murder in an off-duty shooting of a man on a Metro subway train.

During a court hearing, federal prosecutors described how a Dec. 15, 2020, confrontation between FBI agent Eduardo Valdivia and an unarmed passenger escalated into violence as the metro train approached the Medical Center in Bethesda.

Valdivia allegedly shot and wounded the man from about three feet after telling the man several times to back up. His defense attorney stated that the victim approached Valdivia on the train, sat across from him, and asked for money.

The man started to swear at him when the FBI agent said he didn’t have money with him. Valdivia allegedly told the man to ‘watch your language,’ and the man turned back and approached him.

At that point, the FBI agent shot him. Another passenger was in his line of fire but wasn’t hurt.

Grand Jury Indicts Valdivia For Second-Degree Murder

Valdivia turned himself in to law enforcement this week, but he has been released pending a hearing on his personal recognizance.

The wounded man needed to have part of his colon, spleen, and pancreas removed after the shooting.

This week, his defense attorney told the media that Valdivia has an impressive personal and professional background, joining the FBI in 2011.

Last year, he was promoted to a supervisory special agent and provided programmatic oversight and operational guidance into crimes involving racially motivated extremists.

Valdivia was going to work when the shooting happened. Court records show the wounded man has a criminal record, so it’s unclear if the charges will result in a conviction.

The FBI stated that it is aware of the charges and is cooperating with the investigation.