The woman accused of participating in a $1.4 million fraud against the Bermuda Government has her fate resting in the hands of a jury today.

Teketa Thompkins, 33, is alleged to have received, spent and laundered cash that her boyfriend Harrison Isaac Jr. looted from a Government account.

Isaac, 35, who worked in the Accountant General’s department during his swindle as well as being a concert promoter was jailed earlier this year.

In evidence in Thompkins trial — being heard in New York because the raided account was being held on Wall Street — Isaac said she knew nothing of the criminal scheme. Her lawyer Paul Madden has also told the jury Isaac duped his clients into believing the cash sums he spent were legitimate earnings. However prosecutors say Thompkins knew Isaac had illegally gained the money she received.

Cross-examining her on the witness stand yesterday, Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan Abernethy asked Thompkins if she ever questioned Isaac about the cash.

Her bank statements showed it originated from the Government of Bermuda. “Not really, no. He worked for the Government of Bermuda,” she replied.

She agreed with Mr. Abernethy that during a period spent in the US Army in the 1990s she was disciplined for misconduct.

She later told Mr. Madden, this was for disobeying her superiors and missing duties but she had still gained service medals.

Thompkins also told the jury that Isaac — to whom she became engaged during the period of the alleged fraud — was engaged at the same time to her best friend without her knowledge.

In his closing address to the jury, Mr. Abernethy said Thompkins tried to portray herself as “a naive vulnerable, easily manipulated small town woman, down on her luck. Easily manipulated by a slick, concert promoter looking for a sucker to unwittingly use in his criminal scheme”.

This was not the case he said, because Thompkins knew what she was doing.

Mr. Madden told the jury: “She actually believe Harrison Isaac. She believe this was his money. She may have been foolish. “She may have been negligent. She might have been mistaken — we all know that now. But hindsight is 20/20.”

He said that his client was deeply religious and hard working and urged them to clear her name.