LEE COUNTY, Fla. — A former Orlando attorney will spend more than three years in prison after stealing $100,000 in insurance settlement money from a Vietnam veteran.
The victim, a Vietnam veteran, was hit by a bicycle in Lehigh Acres in 2019. Prosecutors say Stephen Jones misappropriated the insurance settlement funds that were due to his client.
As part of his sentence, Jones must pay $100,000 in restitution, with $36,000 going to the victim and his wife. The remaining $64,000 will go to the Florida Bar Clients' Security Fund, which had previously reimbursed the victim after determining Jones had misappropriated those funds.
The State Attorney's Office Economic Crimes Unit began investigating after being contacted by the Florida Bar, which discovered financial inconsistencies involving client money while reviewing Jones' trust account in an unrelated case in Orange County.
Jones also faces charges for third-degree theft in Orange County, involving the theft of $11,000 in insurance proceeds.
The Florida Supreme Court permanently disbarred Jones in 2021 as a result of his criminal actions.
The Florida Bar regulates the practice of law in Florida, ensures the highest standards of legal professionalism, and protects the public by prosecuting unethical attorneys and preventing the unlicensed practice of law.
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