Disbarred celebrity lawyer Tom Girardi was convicted on Tuesday of embezzling tens of millions of dollars from his clients, including individuals with severe injuries and families of accident victims. After a 13-day trial, a federal jury in Los Angeles found the 85-year-old Girardi guilty of four counts of wire fraud, following less than a full day of deliberations.
Girardi, the estranged husband of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Erika Jayne, was once a prominent attorney known for representing victims against powerful corporations. His most notable case, a lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electric, resulted in a $333 million settlement and was depicted in the film “Erin Brockovich.”
However, Girardi’s career unraveled, leading to his disbarment in California in 2022 due to client thefts. Former clients who testified against him included an Arizona widow and victims of a 2010 gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno, California.
Prosecutors argued that Girardi used his celebrity status to deceive clients, portraying himself as a “Champion of Justice” while embezzling their funds. Despite his defense team’s claims that he was merely a figurehead and not responsible for the thefts, the jury found Girardi guilty. His attorneys had also argued he was unfit for trial due to an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, but the court ruled otherwise.
Girardi faces up to 80 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for December. He remains free until then. Additionally, he faces separate federal wire fraud charges in Chicago for allegedly stealing $3 million from families of victims in the 2018 Lion Air crash.
