Former Judge Agrees to Plead Guilty to Mortgage Fraud

TAMPA, FL—United States Attorney A. Brian Albritton announces the filing of an information charging Thomas E. Stringer (Tampa, Florida), with one count of bank fraud, along with a signed plea agreement concerning the information. If convicted, Mr. Stringer faces a maximum penalty of thirty years in federal prison. However, because it appears that no one sustained a loss from the commission of the crime, the relevant sentencing guidelines contemplate the imposition of a non-custodial sentence. The information also notifies Mr. Stringer that the United States intends to seek forfeiture of $222,362.00, the amount of the proceeds from the alleged fraud.

According to the information, Mr. Stringer engaged in a scheme to defraud a bank that loaned him money to purchase a residence in Hawaii. The information alleges that Mr. Stringer falsified his mortgage application for the residence by claiming that he had borrowed none of the money he was using for the down payment, when in fact he had borrowed funds from a third party.

The conduct that forms the basis for the criminal charge in the information is completely unrelated to Mr. Stringer's previous occupation as a judge. From the outset of this case, Mr. Stringer has cooperated with government investigators and has accepted responsibility for his actions. Additionally, the loan was re-paid in full. An information is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tampa Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert E. O'Neill and Anthony Porcelli.

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