Stripper in judge scandal to plead guilty to fraud

A stripper whose accusations brought down a state judge will plead guilty to federal bank fraud, according to a plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court.

Christy Yamanaka went public two years ago about her relationship with former state appeals court Judge Thomas E. Stringer, providing News Channel 8 and The Tampa Tribune with documentation that Stringer had helped her hide her financial assets from creditors and a bankruptcy court.

Stringer pleaded guilty last year to federal bank fraud and was sentenced in November to a year of probation. He also was ordered to forfeit $222,000 and perform 150 hours of community service.

Likewise, under Yamanaka's plea agreement, she is unlikely to go to prison, largely because the prosecution plans to ask that she receive credit for her cooperation in the investigation. The maximum sentence for bank fraud is 30 years in prison and a fine of $1 million.

She also has agreed to forfeit $222,000, although the plea agreement calls for her to be jointly liable with Stringer. In other words, the two combined are required to forfeit that amount in total.

Yamanaka said the judge helped her at a time when she had court judgments against her totaling about $315,000. Stringer has said Yamanaka's money went into bank accounts he opened in his name because she had terrible credit.

Stringer purchased a house in Hawaii with Yamanaka. He left her name off the mortgage and provided false information on the loan application. Yamanaka contends Stringer cheated her out of money on the sale of the Hawaii house. Stringer has said he gave her more than her share.

It was the lie on the mortgage application that formed the basis for the federal charge to which Stringer pleaded guilty, and also was the subject of Yamanaka's plea agreement.

Stringer resigned from the 2nd District Court of Appeal after the story broke but before the federal prosecution began or the state's Judicial Qualifications Commission could rule on his case.