Attorney Tom Girardi, who has been suspended from practicing law, has been convicted of leading a years-long scheme that bilked his clients out of tens of millions of dollars.
After a 13-day trial, Girardi was convicted Tuesday on four counts of wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 6, and faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count.
Girardi is best known for his role in the 1993 class action lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electric Company of California — a case that inspired the 2000 film “Erin Brockovich,” starring Julia Roberts. (The lawsuit resulted in a $333 million settlement in 1996.) He is also the estranged husband of “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Erika Jayne and appeared on the show several times between 2015 and 2020.
“Tom Girardi built his celebrity status and lured victims by falsely portraying himself as a ‘champion of justice.’ In reality, he was Robin Hood in reverse, stealing from those in need to support his lavish Hollywood lifestyle,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement following the jury’s verdict. “Today’s verdict proves that the game is up – and we can all now see this defendant for who he truly is and the victims he so cruelly betrayed.”
The Justice Department said in a statement that, according to evidence presented at trial, Girardi embezzled millions of dollars from clients’ trust accounts at his now-defunct law firm, Girardi Casey. The former attorney also failed to pay money owed to his Girardi Casey clients — many of whom were seriously injured in accidents.
More to come…
