Tom Girardi, the former high-powered attorney, was convicted on Tuesday of wire fraud for stealing at least $15 million in settlement funds from four clients through a massive Ponzi scheme.
A jury convicted the 85-year-old, known for his role in the Erin Brockovich case, of four counts of wire fraud. The verdict came a day after closing arguments.
“Tom Girardi built celebrity status and lured in victims by falsely portraying himself as a ‘Champion of Justice,’” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said. “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.”
Prosecutors argued that Girardi ran a 10-year Ponzi scheme in which he stole millions in settlement funds from four of his clients and spent it on private jets, golf club memberships, jewelry, and the career of his then-wife, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne.
Girardi’s attorneys argued that the now-disbarred attorney had dementia and didn’t know what was going on. They also shifted the blame to Girardi’s chief financial officer.
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Jayne, who filed for divorce from Girardi in 2020, was dismissed from the case in 2022.
Attorney and former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told KNX News' Margaret Carrero he wasn't surprised by the verdict.
“The evidence was overwhelming including Girardi's own words and emails and voicemails and text message lying to clients,” he said. “I think the jury saw right through his testimony last week and returned a very quick guilty verdict for that reason.”
Girardi is out on bail and living in an assisted memory care home in Orange County. But Rahmani said he doesn't Girardi will spend the rest of his life there.
“He's gonna die in federal prison. There's no doubt in my mind,” he said. “No judge is gonna go lenient on him given that he escaped justice for so many years.”
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