In June 2010, Earl Jones pleaded guilty to two counts of fraud for a Ponzi scheme he operated. It is estimated that between 1982 and 2009, Earl Jones stole over $50 million (Wikipedia, 2013). This article will use stain theory, from a sociological perspective, and behavioral theory, from psychological theories, to explain the crimes of Earl Jones. Earl Jones seemed to have a regular and happy upbringing. He played hockey for many years, grew up with many friends and is remembered as a man who was always smiling. But for nearly 30 years, Earl Jones lived the life of a conman (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, 2011). In his early 20s, Jones began working in the financial field, handling estate planning and managing wills. In his late 30s, Jones, without registering as a financial advisor, managed to open his own investment consulting business. Jones seemed to have a knack for getting people to invest their money with him. He raised money by promising investors impressive returns on their investments, but Jones never invested any of the funds he contributed. He used new funds to repay old investors. Over the years, Jones had spent more than $13 million of the money he raised living a high-end lifestyle and the rest was spent paying for income that never really existed ( Barlow, 1995). One theory that can be applied to this crime, put forward by Robert K. Merton in 1938, is the distortion theory. Strain theory is based on the idea that individuals feel pressure to achieve socially determined goals. Society is divided into five categories that describe how people deal with tension; Conformity, Innovation, Ritualism, Rebellion or Withdrawal. The goals generally set by the society would indicate that the stain theory and the behavioral theory played a major role in the life of Earl Jones. One can only hope that the positive punishment of prison time has changed the way Jones will behave once released. Works Cited Barlow, H. (1995). Crime and public policy: putting theory to work. Boulder, CO: Westview Press Inc. Bartol, CR and Bartol, AM (2008). Criminal behavior: a physical-social approach (8th ed.) Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson education inc. Société Radio-Canada (producer). (2011). Getting Down Easy: White-Collar Criminals [DVD]. Toronto, Ontario: CBC Learning Schmalleger, F. and Volk, R. (2011). Canadian criminology today: theories and applications.Toronto: Pearson.Wikipedia, The free Encyclopedia. (October 27, 2013). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Jones_(investment_advisor)