Victims of Earl Jones allowed to sue Royal Bank

Victims of Montreal swindler Earl Jones will be allowed to file a class-action lawsuit against the Royal Bank of Canada, a Quebec Superior Court judge decided Wednesday. The claimants want $40 million in damages from the bank, which they say carelessly allowed him to use personal cheques for business purposes, making it easier for him to steal their money. Jones, 67, is serving an 11-year jail sentence for defrauding more than 150 people out of $50 million.

Montreal Gazette