Tom Girardi, a lawyer and the estranged husband of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne, was indicted on Wednesday. According to The Wrap, he was charged with swindling $15 million from his clients. Girardi, who has since been disbarred, will face federal arraignment on Feb. 6.
Girardi was reportedly charged with five counts of wire fraud. According to a press release from the Department of Justice, the charge could land him with a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Girardi’s law firm, Girardi Keese, is at the center of this legal matter. The firm was subsequently shut down after it was discovered that it misappropriated over $13 million in settlements. Girardi isn’t the only one who is facing charges. Christopher Kazuo Kamon, who is the former CFO of Girardi Keese, was also hit with charges. It is alleged that Kamon, who is in federal custody following his November 2022 arrest, and Girardi obtained $15 million in settlements that were supposed to go to their clients.
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“Mr. Girardi and Mr. Kamon stand accused of engaging in a widespread scheme to steal from their clients and lie to them to cover up the fraud,” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said. “In doing so, they allegedly preyed on the very people who trusted and relied upon them the most—their clients. Actions like the ones alleged in the indictment bring disrepute upon the legal profession and will not be tolerated by my office.” Amir Ehsaei, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, also spoke out about the indictment.
“Mr. Girardi and Mr. Kamon allegedly created a mirage over several years in order to disguise the fact that they were robbing Girardi Keese clients of large sums of money,” Ehsaei stated. “The defendants exploited the hardships endured by their clients and took advantage of their unfamiliarity with the legal process while they denied victims what was rightfully due to them in order to fund their lavish lifestyles.” Unlike Kamon, Girardi, who was disbarred in July 2022, is not currently in prison. Instead, the disgraced attorney, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, is in a 24-hour care facility. He was also placed under a court-ordered conservatorship. While Girardi and his estranged wife, Jayne, are still technically married, the RHOBH star filed for divorce in November 2020.
