Once-High-Profile Lawyer Found Guilty of Wire Fraud in Massive Client Theft Scheme
Disbarred personal injury attorney Thomas Vincent Girardi was found guilty by a federal jury today for orchestrating a years-long scheme in which he embezzled tens of millions of dollars from his clients, including those awaiting compensation for severe injuries. The disbarred ex-lawyer Giradi is the estranged husband of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne, who he married in 2000.
Girardi, 85, of Seal Beach, was convicted on four counts of wire fraud, marking a significant downfall for the once-prominent lawyer. He has been diagnosed with late-onset Alzheimers and dementia but was able to assist in his defense. Girardi was one of the lawyers representing some of the plaintiffs in the Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) groundwater poisoning lawsuit. This groundbreaking case made paralegal and environmental activist Erin Brockovich famous.
“Tom Girardi built a celebrity status and lured victims by falsely portraying himself as a ‘Champion of Justice,'” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. “In reality, he was a Robin Hood in reverse, stealing from the needy to support a lavish Hollywood lifestyle. Today’s verdict shows that the game is up – we can all now see this defendant for what he was and the victims he callously betrayed.”
Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Los Angeles Field Office added, “Girardi exploited his clients’ misfortunes on a grand scale, violating their trust to fund his opulent lifestyle. He will now face the consequences of his actions.”
The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office also weighed in, with Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis stating, “Girardi falsely promoted himself as a pillar of the legal community, but the clients he wronged have now found actual justice in today’s verdict.”
During the 13-day trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Girardi, a once-powerful figure in California’s legal community, ran the now-defunct law firm Girardi Keese. Over a decade, from October 2010 to late 2020, Girardi misappropriated millions from client trust accounts, stealing settlement funds and failing to pay clients the money they were owed.
Girardi deceived clients with false explanations for payment delays, claiming that settlement funds were tied up due to tax obligations, bankruptcy claims, or other fabricated legal hurdles. Meanwhile, he funneled tens of millions of dollars from his law firm’s accounts to cover illegitimate expenses, including more than $25 million for his wife’s entertainment company, EJ Global, as well as luxury items like private jet travel, jewelry, and high-end cars.
As legal troubles mounted, Girardi Keese was forced into involuntary bankruptcy in 2020, and the State Bar of California disbarred Girardi in July 2022.
U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton has scheduled Girardi’s sentencing for December 6. For each count of wire fraud, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
The case also involves co-defendant Christopher Kazuo Kamon, 50, the former chief financial officer of Girardi Keese. Kamon is accused of aiding Girardi’s scheme and embezzling millions for personal use. He was arrested in the Bahamas in November 2022 and remains in federal custody. He has pleaded not guilty. His trial is set for January 2025.
Girardi, Kamon, and David R. Lira, Girardi’s son-in-law and a former lawyer at the firm, also face federal fraud charges in Chicago. Their trial is scheduled for March 2025.
The IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from the Office of the United States Trustee. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Paetty and Ali Moghaddas are prosecuting the case.
