EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — An El Paso man accused of stealing tens of thousands of dollars from his elderly aunt and uncle’s bank accounts has been sentenced to 14 years in state prison.

Jesus Rodriguez De La Cruz, 46, pleaded guilty last Tuesday.

Rodriguez pleaded guilty to multiple felonies, including two counts of Financial Abuse of an Elderly Person, two counts of Exploitation of an Elderly Person, and one count of Theft of Property.

Rodriguez’s aunt and uncle alerted the El Paso Police Financial Crimes Unit in February 2023 to fraudulent activity on their Wells Fargo account that led to that account being depleted of all the money, which amounted to over $73,000.

The uncle told EPPD that Rodriguez’s name was listed on the transactions resulting in the account’s depletion, and those transactions were unauthorized.

Rodriguez had gained access to their banking information because he had also worked as their financial adviser.

The couple had also lent him $60,000 prior to discovering the missing money, but checks Rodriguez made out as a repayment were later found to be fake.

An investigation uncovered that in 2022, Rodriguez had used the money on luxury vehicles, retail shopping sprees, and extravagant vacations, including a trip to Mexico City during the Formula 1 Racing championship. Rodriguez had previously lost his job at Morgan Stanley after it was learned he defrauded clients of millions of dollars over a three-year period.

RELATED: Ex-El Paso Morgan Stanley advisor impersonated clients, moved $125K to buy Lamborghini

A federal investigation resulted in a conviction in the U.S. Court of the Western District of Texas and a sentence of 12 years in federal prison back in March 2025.

“The Defendant was entrusted with sensitive banking information not just because he was a financial adviser, but also because he was a family member,” said District Attorney James Montoya. “It’s not just morally reprehensible to defraud elderly loved ones of all their money, it’s a crime our Office takes seriously.”

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