‘Real Housewives’ husband Tom Girardi guilty of wire fraud
- 85-year-old disbarred lawyer found guilty of four counts of wire fraud
- He funneled at least $25 million from clients for luxury expenses
- Also faces federal fraud charges in Chicago
FILE – Attorney Tom Girardi smiles outside the Los Angeles courthouse on Wednesday, July 9, 2014. A federal judge filed a brief order Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, stating that the disgraced Los Angeles celebrity lawyer has been found competent to stand trial on charges that he stole more than $15 million from his clients. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)
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(NewsNation) — Once-prominent Los Angeles attorney Tom Girardi has been found guilty of a yearslong embezzlement scheme that defrauded tens of millions from his clients.
The 85-year-old disbarred lawyer, who appeared infrequently with his ex-wife Erika Jayne on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” misappropriated funds from client trust accounts and refused to pay Girardi Keese clients, citing “bogus requirements,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California.
According to the office’s press release, Girardi diverted tens of millions of dollars to pay “illegitimate expenses” between 2010 and 2020. Some of those expenses included $25 million to EJ Global, Jayne’s LLC related to her singing career.
He also spent the embezzled money on jewelry, luxury cars, private jet travel and more luxuries.
“Tom Girardi built celebrity status and lured in victims by falsely portraying himself as a ‘Champion of Justice,’” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “In reality, he was a Robin-Hood-in-reverse, stealing from the needy to support of 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.”
Girard, along with his son-in-law David R. Lira and co-defendant Christopher Kazuo Kamon, also face federal fraud charges in Chicago. Trial is set to begin in March 2025.
