Tom Girardi Was Found To Have Stolen Millions Of Dollars From His Clients

Tom Girardi, a disbarred attorney, was found guilty of embezzling millions of dollars from his former clients over a decade.

A federal jury in Los Angeles convicted Girardi, the 85-year-old estranged husband of “Real Housewives” star Erika Jayne, on four wire fraud charges, including $3 million from relatives of the victims of the 2018 Lion Air crash in the Java Sea.

He pleaded not guilty last year

He pleaded not guilty last year. His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 6.

Tyler Hatcher, special agent in charge of the IRS criminal investigative unit in Los Angeles, stated that Girardi “exploited his clients’ misfortunes on a grand scale.”

He said “His clients sought his help in the wake of significant trauma and injury, yet he violated their trust to steal from them and fund his own lavish lifestyle, and he will now face the consequences of his actions,” 

Victims who contacted out across districts provided information to FBI and IRS investigators, officials said on Tuesday.

The 13-day trial in California reveals that attorney Girardi misappropriated and embezzled millions from clients’ trust accounts, using his high-profile role to pilfer money from clients who he represented in severe injury cases.

Girardi’s public defender has filed court documents suggesting he plans to blame his law firm’s former chief financial officer, Christopher Kamon, for the scandal. 

An accounting employee testified that Girardi had no knowledge of a secret bank account where funds were transferred, and was instructed to handle checks sent to a San Bernardino bank.

In late 2020, Girardi appeared to be in cognitive decline, with delusions and no possibility of recovery. In January, he was found competent to stand trial, but his lawyers claimed he had Alzheimer’s disease and could not participate. 

Authorities have blocked his assets, and he is now living in an assisted living home.

The judge disagreed with the public defender

In contrast to the public defender, the judge decided that Girardi might face trial because it was thought that he was exaggerating his symptoms.

Girardi, a well-known actor, is best remembered for his role in the 1993 groundwater contamination lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electric Co, which inspired the 2000 film “Erin Brockovich.” 

He is also well-known for his role in Bravo’s reality show “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” in which his wife, Jayne, portrays her estranged husband in legal battles.

US Attorney Martin Estrada has accused him of betraying the trust of his most vulnerable clients, who suffered traumatic events and needed his help.

The attorney alleges that Girardi diverted over $25 million from his firm’s operating account to pay expenses for EJ Global, a company formed for Jayne’s entertainment career.

He said “His insatiable appetite for money is what led him to court and what led to this verdict today,” 

Jayne, wife of David Girardi, was accused of embezzlement in a lawsuit. She was dismissed in 2022. The couple separated and filed for divorce in 2020. 

Jayne has denied knowing about Girardi’s fraud and has not been criminally charged in any related cases. She appeared in a documentary apologizing to victims whose money was stolen. 

The couple is separated, and Jayne has struggled to be granted the divorce due to Girardi’s mental and physical decline.

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