Former Florida Judge pleads guilty in bank fraud case

Tampa Bay Online reported yesterday that former Florida Appellate Court Judge Thomas E. Stringer publicly admitted this morning that he is guilty of bank fraud for helping a stripper hide her financial assets from creditors. According to the federal charge, he lied on a loan application to purchase a house in Hawaii, saying the money used for the down payment was his, when it was from stripper Christy Yamanaka.

According to reports, Stringer plead guilty under the terms of a plea agreement he and federal prosecutors signed last month. He has yet to be sentenced.

During yesterday’s hearing Stringer was advised by a federal magistrate that as a result of his plea, he may not run for public office and he may be in jeopardy of losing his law license. In addition, Stringer’s state pension may be affected by a federal criminal conviction.

Although Stringer’s crimes could subject him to thirty (30) years in prison, Federal Prosecutors are not recommending prison time for Stringer. However his sentence will ultimately be up to the magistrate’s discretion. Stringer also agreed to forfeit $222,000.

Stringer, retired from the bench in February as he was being investigated by the Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission.

Comments about this post can be directed to Florida White Collar Fraud Attorney Whittel & Melton, LLC at 866-608-5529.