What did Tom Girardi do? Details explored as 'Real Housewives' ex-husband sentenced to 7 years for fraud

Tom Girardi, the ex-husband of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne, has been sentenced to seven years in prison. Girardi, whose real name is Thomas Vincent Girardi, is a former high-profile trial lawyer.

According to the Department of Justice, Tom Girardi was involved in wire fraud and was found guilty in four cases by a jury in August 2024. He previously ran a law firm called Girardi Keese in downtown Los Angeles, which is now closed.

As per the statement given by attorney Bill Essayli:

"This self-proclaimed ‘champion of justice’ was nothing more than a thief and a liar who conned his vulnerable clients out of the millions of dollars"

The sentence for the eighty-six-year-old was delivered on June 3 by Judge Josephine L. Staton. He must surrender to the police by July 17. Additionally, he has been ordered to return $2.3 million to clients and pay a fine of $35,000.

How long were Tom Girardi and Erika Jayne together?

Tom Girardi and Erika Jayne were married for twenty-one years. The couple first met in 1998 and got married a year later. However, Jayne filed for divorce in 2020. The same year, a law firm called Edelson PC filed a case against them in Illinois. According to their statement, Tom Girardi and Erika Jayne took money intended for families who lost loved ones in the Lion Air Flight 610 plane crash.

According to the case statement, Tom used the money to fund his and Erika’s lifestyle. It also mentioned that his law firm was running low on funds, and the couple might have staged their divorce to conceal assets.

However, a source refuted the claim, stating that Erika filed for divorce because Tom was cheating. The two are now separated.

How did Tom Girardi steal money from clients?

The scheme to steal money from clients ran from 2010 to 2020. During this period, Girardi used his firm, Girardi Keese, to pay old clients with new settlement money and cover other expenses.

Girardi claimed his law firm couldn’t pay the clients until "rules" were followed, such as paying taxes and obtaining permission from judges. He also deceived the clients by saying the money from the settlements hadn’t been paid yet.

As per the Department of Justice:

"Girardi also diverted tens of millions of dollars from his law firm’s operating account to pay illegitimate expenses, including more than $25 million to pay the expenses of EJ Global, a company formed by his wife related to her entertainment career, as well as spent millions of dollars of Girardi Keese funds on private jet travel, jewelry, luxury cars, and exclusive golf and social clubs."

Co-defendant Christopher Kazuo Kamon admitted in October 2024 that he committed two counts of wire fraud by assisting Girardi. In April, he was sentenced to ten years and one month in prison.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback