JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announced today that Jared Dean Eakes, 34, of Jacksonville, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and bank fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to his plea agreement, Eakes carried out two major schemes between 2019 and 2021 that resulted in millions of dollars in losses to investors and taxpayers.
Between January 2019 and February 2020, Eakes posed as a legitimate business advisor and approached investment advisors who were seeking to sell their advisory practices. After negotiating to take over management of their clients’ assets, prosecutors said Eakes diverted approximately $2,737,462 in victim-investor funds for his personal benefit. He allegedly withdrew cash, paid personal expenses, transferred funds to a Las Vegas casino, and engaged in unauthorized options trading through a personal brokerage account…