Tom Girardi, the estranged husband of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne and the “Erin Brockovich” lawyer, was indicted on five counts of wire fraud for allegedly embezzling over $15 million from his legal clients.
Tom Girardi, ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ star’s estranged husband, indicted on $15 million embezzlement scam
Tom Vincet Girardi, the 83-year-old estranged husband of Erika Jayne from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, has been accused of embezzling over $15 million from his legal clients and was indicted on 5 counts of wire fraud.
Thomas Girardi was indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly embezzling over $15 million from his legal clients.
“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,” US Attorney Martin Estrada said in a release. “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.”
Was once “Erin Brockovich” attorney
Girardi was once a powerful personal injury lawyer, running the LA-based Girardi & Keese law firm for decades, where rose to prominence as the trial attorney from the Erin Brockovich case, Fox reported. However, he was disbarred in July 2022.
Controller and CFO also charged
In addition to Girardi, Christopher Kazuo Kamon, 49, the former controller and chief financial officer of Girardi’s law firm, Girardi Keese, from 2004 to 2020, was also charged, BuzzFeed News reported. Kamon was in charge of the financial affairs of the law firm, which included overseeing the accounting department as well as paying the firm’s expenses. He remains in federal custody.
Erika Jayne has her own legal issues
Girardi appeared on the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alongside his then-wife, reality TV star, singer and actress Erika Jayne. Now 51, Jayne filed for divorce from Girardi in November 2020 after 21 years of marriage.
Jayne has had her own legal issues. In December 2020, a Chicago-based law firm requested a federal judge order Jayne to cease from selling designer clothing online amid an effort to recover $2 million in missing money owed to people.
She was also named in a December 17, 2020, Los Angeles Times article alleging Girardi funneled money into EJ Global, a company set up to finance Jayne’s entertainment and singing career. However, she scored a legal victory in a $5 million fraud lawsuit in August 2022, with the court finding no evidence of “wrongdoing” by Jayne, Page Six reported.
