WHAT A HEEL: Judge Throws Career Away For Aging Stripper
Former judge Thomas Stringer, who sat on the Second District Court of Appeals for central FL, pleaded guilty to bank fraud for helping paramour Christy Yamanaka, a stripper, hide assets from her creditors, reports The Associated Press:
Yamanaka, 49, went public with their relationship last year, telling reporters how Stringer let her put money she made into his bank accounts so that creditors to whom she owed hundreds of thousands of dollars wouldn't know she had an income.
The Judicial Qualifications Commission, which oversees judges in Florida, found probable cause to believe Stringer opened bank accounts in his name and let Yamanaka use them from 2003 to 2007 to hide assets. He was also accused of fraudulently listing himself as the sole owner of a home in Hawaii for her and accepting lavish gifts.
The ethics complaint was dropped when Stringer, 65, resigned from the bench, and prosecutor Robert O'Neill does not plan to press for jail time since the former judge cooperated with investigators. AP notes that Stringer may yet face criminal charges for “other alleged crimes” associated with Yamanaka.
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