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More of Thompkins? lavish lifestyle revealed

Jurors have heard evidence about what is alleged to be the lavish lifestyle a woman lived on $1.4 million looted from the Bermuda Government.

The trial of Teketa Thompkins examined bank statements belonging to her and former accountant Harrison Isaac Jr. who raided Government funds held at the Bank of New York.

They showed large sums of cash exchanged between Isaac and the woman accused of being his accomplice.

Thompkins is on trial in New York because the Government account in question was based in Wall Street, Manhattan.

Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Goldin told jurors in his opening address that Isaac, 35, stole $1.4 million between August 2003 and February 2004.

This allegedly went to accounts held by Thompkins in the name of her businesses All Brand New and Simply Perfection in her home state of Georgia.

She is accused of channelling a large portion of the funds back to Isaac through various means including wire transfers to his accounts.

She was also caught smuggling $26,000 into Bermuda for him, stashed in her underwear.

Thompkins, 33, faces nine charges of conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering. She denies them all.

Her lawyer Paul Madden claims she was duped by Isaac ? a ?slick? individual working in the Accountant General?s department, who she believed was the man of her dreams.

Chris Petrellese, a Brooklyn-based FBI financial analyst, presented the jury with a series of charts documenting the flow of money in and out of business and personal bank accounts belonging to Thompkins yesterday.

He also gave evidence about a personal bank account held by Isaac.

Among the transactions outlined was $380,000 that went into one of Thompkins? accounts from the Government of Bermuda on August 7, 2003.

In the period up to September 17 she transferred more than $217,000 to Isaac.

On December 16, 2003 she received a $69,000 wire from the Government of Bermuda and a further wire of $227,000 on December 18.

There was a $100,000 withdrawal on December 19 that went to an account held by Isaac.

On January 22 2004 another $383,000 came in from the Government. Four days later, the same amount was sent to Isaac by means of a cashier?s check.

Outlining withdrawals from Thompkins? accounts, Agent Clarke said that in a six-week period from August 8, 2003 to September 15 she took over $7,000 from one of her accounts via ATM withdrawals. He listed other transactions as including:

? Paying $2564 to Capital One Auto in August and September 2003, listed on her banking slips as ?car pay?.

A further $3870 to the same place between December 2003 and March 2004.

? On February 4, 2004 a payment of $1830 to Circuit City for a Samsung television.

? From December 2003 to March 2004 $2757 to cell phone company Verizon Wireless.

Showing sums relating to an account held by Isaac he outlined a series of deposits said to have come from her accounts totalling more than $1.2 million.

Special Agent Brendan Clarke, an expert on money laundering, was called by the prosecution to explain this process.

Agent Clarke, who works for the US Internal Revenue Service criminal investigation team explained launderers am to make illegal funds appear legitimate through a series of transactions.

This, he said, is generally done either through financial transactions or bulk cash smuggling. The case continues.