Tom Girardi Found Guilty of Embezzling Millions from Clients

Tom Girardi, 85, was found guilty on Tuesday of embezzling tens of millions of his clients’ money, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

A press release confirms a federal court jury found Girardi guilty on four out of four counts of wire fraud.

The defamed lawyer, who has been disbarred, was accused of keeping settlement money that should have gone to victims or the families of victims in multiple cases, some who suffered severe injuries.

The L.A. Times reports, Assistant U.S. Atty. Ali Moghaddas told the jury during closing arguments, “He picked these people in the darkest hour of their life and told them what he thought they’d believe. What you saw in this case is, for years, the defendant was running a Ponzi scheme.”

Prosecutors claimed that while clients waited on their payments, Girardi was living a life of luxury and spending money on his now estranged wife, “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Erika Jayne.

The defense argued that the chief financial officer, Chris Kamon, of his law firm Girardi Keese was to blame. The U.S. Attorney’s Office press release notes that Kamon was also charged with wire fraud, as he faces another case involving embezzled funds.

Girardi’s defense also argued that he was mentally incompetent, but a judge ruled last year that he was fit to stand trial.

In 2025, Girardi will be back in court in Chicago as he faces charges he stole money from the families of the victims of the 2018 Lion Air plane crash in Indonesia.