Convicted Government fraudster Harrison Isaac Jr. has described the high life he lived during his crime, hanging out with swimsuit models at Cup Match.

The management accountant stole $2 million from a Government bank account, while running a raunchy calendar company as a sideline to his $80,000-a-year career. Jurors hearing the case against his alleged co-conspirator Teketa Thompkins heard yesterday how he fell for the model during his calendar project, and later proposed.

He said that while romancing her, he also spotted an opportunity to utilise her in his fraudulent scheme while telling her that his riches were legitimate.

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 means including wire transfers to his accounts. She denies nine charges of conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering.

Her lawyer Paul Madden claims she was duped by Isaac who she believed was the man of her dreams. Facing his former fiancée as he took the witness stand in her defence, Isaac answered questions from Mr. Madden, explaining he was in charge of a Government account at the Bank of New York through his job in the Accountant General’s Department. He admitted he began making unauthorised wire transfers out of it in May and June 2003 to parties including his calendar company Bermuda on the Rocks.

In July that year he arranged a photo shoot in Bermuda for a swimsuit calendar and met Thompkins, who was one of the models he flew in from the US.

She stared impassively at Isaac as he told the jury: “That was my professional relationship with her. However, I did take a liking to her and became romantically involved.”

Having explained about Bermuda’s unique Cup Match tradition, he gave an insight into how he entertained Thompkins and other models there in 2003.

“Everyone came with me to watch it, have fun and be merry,” he said, adding, “There were three models clinging to me the whole time, wanting to be where I went.”

One day after he became romantically involved with Thompkins he said he found her absent from work, crying over mortgage arrears of around $70,000 — so he offered to pay it off. Explaining why, he said: “She was emotional and crying. I can’t have people with red noses and tears in their eyes.”

But he went on to admit he saw Thompkins as vulnerable and when she gave him her personal banking details: “I did identify an opportunity to utilise that information to continue my fraud.”

He explained that in a series of transfers from August 2003 onwards he wired $1.4 million to Thompkins. “These went to accounts in the name of her companies All Brand New and Simply Perfection.”

He said he told her she could help him access money he made from business with the Government of Bermuda, deliberately giving her the impression he was wealthy but could not open a business account in the States as a Bermudian.

After telling the jury he proposed to Thompkins in January 2004 he stressed: “I never told her it was stolen. I always told her it was my money.”

Thompkins was arrested at Bermuda International Airport in March 2004 with $30,000 she said was for Isaac hidden on her person. He was arrested the following month.

For the first time, during his evidence, the jurors became aware that he pleaded guilty to 13 counts of fraud in August this year, and is now serving a prison sentence in the US.

In answer to cross-examination from Assistant District Attorney Nicholas Goldin, he confirmed he had developed a “deep love” for Thompkins.

Asked by Mr. Goldin if he still loved her, he replied: “I’m going to love her for the rest of my life—I’m so ashamed of what I done to her.”

The case continues.

Isaac: She never knew