Former 'Real Housewives' husband Tom Girardi found guilty of wire fraud in embezzlement case

Former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Tom Girardi, who has since lost his license, was found guilty by a jury on Tuesday of embezzling $15 million from his former clients.

Girardi, the 85-year-old estranged husband of “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Erika Jayne, was found guilty on four counts of wire fraud on charges that he stole money from his clients over the course of a decade, including $3 million from families of victims of the 2018 Lion Air crash that killed 189 people.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges in Los Angeles last year. His sentencing is scheduled for December 6.

Tyler Hatcher, special agent in charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, said Girardi “took advantage of his clients' misfortune on a grand scale.”

“His clients sought his help after suffering severe trauma and injury, but he abused their trust to steal from them and fund his own lavish lifestyle. Now he will face the consequences of his actions,” Hatcher said.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said the 13-day trial showed how Girardi embezzled and misappropriated millions of dollars from trust accounts for clients.

Federal prosecutors allege that Girardi exploited his role as a prominent attorney to steal money from clients he represented in cases involving serious injuries.

Girardi's public defender filed court documents indicating that he sought to shift the blame onto his firm's former chief financial officer, Christopher Kamon, who is currently facing a separate trial.

One of the firm's accounting employees testified in court that there was a secret bank account into which funds were being transferred that Girardi apparently did not know about, according to Bloomberg Law. Norina Rouillard said she was instructed to personally handle checks sent to a bank in San Bernardino, California.

Rouillard also testified that Girardi's cognitive abilities had already declined by the end of 2020. She testified that Girardi “couldn't remember anything, he was delusional and there was nothing that could be done,” Bloomberg reported.

Girardi was only found competent to stand trial in January, with his lawyer arguing that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and was unable to attend the trial. Authorities have frozen Girardi's assets as part of the proceedings, and the former lawyer now lives in a care facility.

The judge disagreed with the public defender and ruled that Girardi was competent to stand trial, believing that the former attorney had exaggerated his symptoms.

Girardi is best known for his role in the 1993 trial of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company for groundwater contamination. That trial served as the inspiration for the 2000 film Erin Brockovich, starring Julia Roberts.

However, Girardi is best known for his time on the Bravo reality series “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” where he and his wife, Erika Jayne, showcased an extravagant lifestyle. Jayne is one of the show's main stars, and the legal battles surrounding her estranged husband have become a central storyline for her in recent seasons.

U.S. prosecutors said Girardi diverted more than $25 million from his company's operating account to pay expenses for EJ Global, a company created to support Jayne's entertainment career. Federal prosecutors say that sum is in addition to the millions he spent on private jet travel, jewelry, luxury cars and exclusive clubs.

Jayne was also named in a lawsuit claiming she had knowledge of her husband's alleged embezzlement in the Lion Air case. The lawsuit accused him of stealing to keep up with his and Jayne's “never-ending spending spree.” But she was dismissed from the lawsuit in 2022.

The couple are separated, although Jayne filed for divorce in 2020 shortly after the allegations against Girardi became known. In previous episodes of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” she said she had difficulty getting the divorce finalized due to Girardi's mental and physical decline.

She has repeatedly denied knowledge of Girardi's alleged fraud and has not been criminally charged in any of the related cases. Jayne also appeared in a documentary in which she apologized to the victims whose money was stolen.