Judge Helped Stripper Out, Did He Commit A Crime?

Judge Thomas E. Stringer Sr. sits on the 2nd District Court of Appeal hearing cases from Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties in Florida. He has been accused of helping out a New York City stripper by letting her hide money in his bank account.

The judge is denying the claim that he shielded Christy Yamanaka from her creditors seeking almost $315,000. While he does admit to having "a friendship" and a "business relationship" with the woman he says nothing was underhanded in their relationship. Christy Yamanaka has a little bit different version of the story. According to her the judge allowed her to put thousands of dollars into his bank accounts so she could avoid repaying her credit card debts. Stringer Sr. admits that Yamanaka once lived in his Hawaii home. He's going no comment though on if they had a sexual relationship.

"I can't comment on the details of our personal relationship or our business relationship," he said during a 40-minute interview at his attorney's Tampa law office.

Yamanaka and Stringer have known each other for 15 years after meeting at Malio's restaurant. He said they had a friendship but lost touch when she moved away. Stringer has been married for 25 years. At one point they became reacquainted. When Yamanaka was going to file for bankruptcy he referred her to his son Daryl Stringer, an attorney in Tampa. She was the one who alerted Stringer of the home in Hawaii as a possible investment. In 2004 Stringer bought the home for $440,000 and Yamanaka lived there while paying rent. The house was sold in 2006 at $749,000. That home plays into the charges because of the shared bank account the two had dealing with the house. Stringer was named to the appellate bench by Jeb Bush in Feb. 1999. He was the first African-American student to obtain a law degree from Stetson. If Stringer did help Yamanaka evade debt collectors he committed an ethical violation. He denies doing anything illegal for the woman he considered a friend. Yamanaka is living in a New York City apartment leased under Stringer's name. He helped her obtain the place because of her bad credit and has had to cough up her rent of $1,600 a few times.

"I was just helping a friend," he said. But, he added, "I do not intend to renew the lease."