Retired FBI Agent Accused in Major Con

Authorities say William Stone bilked woman out of $800K
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 1, 2021 11:35 AM CDT
Month After Retiring, FBI Agent Allegedly Turned to Crime
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A month after retiring from the Dallas field office, an FBI agent allegedly began a yearslong fraud scheme that earned him more than $800,000—and potentially up to 178 years in federal prison. William Roy Stone Jr., 62, is charged with wire fraud, impersonating a federal officer, and other crimes after authorities say he managed to con a Texas woman out of her fortune, per the New York Times. Shortly after retiring in October 2015, he reportedly convinced the Granbury resident that she was on "secret probation" for drug crimes and needed to inform him of her activities and assets, which included a recent inheritance. Prosecutors say Stone then requested a "restitution" payment for a wronged company, which he pocketed, per NBC News. He also allegedly told the woman that she needed to pay expenses related to his supervision of her, from housing to travel.

Stone allegedly supported the lie with fake phone calls, in which he and an unnamed accomplice claimed to be a judge monitoring the case and an officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration, authorities say, per NBC. Throughout, Stone told the woman she would face prison time and lose her children if she didn't comply—though at one point Stone asked the woman to marry him, authorities say. It's unclear how authorities caught wind of the scheme, which allegedly earned Stone more than $800,000 over three and a half years. Indicted by a grand jury last week, Stone faces up to 178 years in federal prison if convicted of all charges. He pleaded not guilty Friday. "Mr. Stone will clear his name in the courtroom and, in doing so, will bring the actual facts of this case to light," one of his lawyers, Gregg Gallian, tells NBC. "There is much more to this story." (More fraud stories.)

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