Lying, Stripper-Loving, Disbarred Judge Avoids Jail

Judge Whose High-Flying Career Crashed and Burned Over Affair With Stripper Avoids Jail
The Associated Press by Mitch Stacy - November 16, 2009

A former Florida judge whose esteemed legal career ended amid accusations about his relationship with a stripper was sentenced Friday to serve one year of probation for bank fraud. Thomas E. Stringer, 65, lamented his damaged reputation and the pain he has caused to his family and others. "I'm deeply sorry for my conduct," he told U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Kovachevich of the Middle District of Florida, who ordered him to also do 150 hours of community service and pay a fine. Kovachevich said the light sentence was justified because of Stringer's long, distinguished legal career and service to the community. Prosecutor Robert O'Neill agreed, saying Stringer's crime "centered on a private matter." The former 2nd District Court of Appeal judge resigned in February, months after stripper Christy Yamanaka appeared on a Tampa, Fla., television station and detailed how Stringer let her put money she made into his bank accounts. That allowed her to hide her income from creditors trying to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. Yamanaka said the two had a 13-year romantic relationship. Stringer pleaded guilty in August to using false information on a mortgage application for a home in Hawaii. He was disbarred by the Florida Supreme Court last month. The Judicial Qualifications Commission, which oversees judges in Florida, investigated and found probable cause to believe Stringer opened bank accounts in his name and let Yamanaka use them from 2003 to 2007 to hide assets. The commission also accused him of listing himself as the sole owner of the Hawaii home and accepting lavish gifts. The commission dropped its ethics complaint after Stringer resigned. According to the plea agreement, Stringer lied about the source of funds for a down payment on a home in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. On the loan application, he said none of the money was borrowed. In fact, prosecutors say that money came from another individual, identified only as "Jane Doe," who transferred funds into his account. Yamanaka, who does not have a listed phone number, is not named in any of the court records. Prior to the allegations involving Yamanaka, Stringer was a highly respected figure in the Florida legal community. He was the first black graduate from Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, Fla., and was inducted into the school's hall of fame in 2007. Before serving on the appeals court, he was a circuit court judge in the family law division.