Latest news with #TomGirardi
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Erika Jayne's ex Tom Girardi, 86, reports to prison to begin 7-year sentence amid dementia battle
Erika Jayne 's ex-husband Tom Girardi has officially begun serving his seven-year prison sentence for wire fraud. can confirm that the 86-year-old disbarred trial attorney, who was once one of the most powerful figures in California 's legal world, became inmate 43156-510 after surrendering Thursday to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles. The attorney — whose Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star ex filed for divorce in 2020 after 21 years of marriage — was indicted in February 2023 for embezzling more than $15 million from his own clients at Girardi Keese. He pleaded not guilty to five counts of wire fraud but was convicted earlier this year. His legal team had tried to keep him out of prison, arguing that Girardi, who was diagnosed with late-onset Alzheimer's and dementia, should serve his sentence at a long-term care facility instead — but the request was denied. Now, it remains unclear how the prison system will handle Girardi's cognitive decline during his seven-year sentence. Determining the right facility for an inmate with mental or physical health issues can take weeks or even months, and officials declined to say where Girardi might ultimately be placed, per LA Times. Girardi turned himself in after his legal team argued that sending the disgraced lawyer to prison would be a 'de facto death sentence' for a man who no longer even remembers the crimes he's being punished for. 'For Tom Girardi, there can be no meaningful punishment,' Deputy Federal Public Defender Samuel Cross said at his sentencing hearing in June. But U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton wasn't swayed, citing expert evaluations that concluded Girardi still had the cognitive ability to function independently in day-to-day life. 'He currently retains his independence as to his activities of daily living,' she said, ruling that prison was the appropriate consequence. Girardi's mental health has been the subject of fierce debate since 2020, when his law empire collapsed amid accusations of financial misconduct. A Long Beach psychiatrist diagnosed him with Alzheimer's, prompting his brother to place him under a conservatorship — but prosecutors suspected Girardi was faking the extent of his decline. Even federal neuropsychologist Dr. Tracy O'Connor Pennuto, who evaluated Girardi during a six-week stint at Butner prison hospital, determined that while he wasn't malingering, he did suffer from 'moderately advanced dementia' with signs of Alzheimer's. Girardi turned himself in after his legal team argued that sending the disgraced lawyer to prison would be a 'de facto death sentence' for a man who no longer even remembers the crimes he's being punished for She testified that his long-term memory remained mostly intact, but his short-term recall was impaired. 'He will not improve,' Pennuto warned. 'He will continue to decline over time.' Girardi was accused of stealing settlement funds from numerous clients, including families of victims of the 2018 Lion Air crash, and using the money to bankroll his and Jayne's opulent lifestyle. While his crimes have left deep scars, Jayne has been largely cleared of any involvement and was dismissed from related lawsuits. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, 54, has since moved on romantically and is now dating retired U.S. Army Special Ops agent John 'Shrek' McPhee — though her divorce from Girardi has yet to be finalized.
Daily Mail
18-07-2025
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Erika Jayne's ex Tom Girardi, 86, reports to prison to begin 7-year sentence amid dementia battle
Erika Jayne 's ex-husband Tom Girardi has officially begun serving his seven-year prison sentence for wire fraud. The 86-year-old disbarred trial attorney, who was once one of the most powerful figures in California 's legal world, became inmate 43156-510 after surrendering Thursday to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, per Page Six. The attorney — whose Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star ex filed for divorce in 2020 after 21 years of marriage — was indicted in February 2023 for embezzling more than $15 million from his own clients at Girardi Keese. He pleaded not guilty to five counts of wire fraud but was convicted earlier this year. His legal team had tried to keep him out of prison, arguing that Girardi, who was diagnosed with late-onset Alzheimer's and dementia, should serve his sentence at a long-term care facility instead — but the request was denied. Now, it remains unclear how the prison system will handle Girardi's cognitive decline during his seven-year sentence. Determining the right facility for an inmate with mental or physical health issues can take weeks or even months, and officials declined to say where Girardi might ultimately be placed, per LA Times. Girardi turned himself in after his legal team argued that sending the disgraced lawyer to prison would be a 'de facto death sentence' for a man who no longer even remembers the crimes he's being punished for. 'For Tom Girardi, there can be no meaningful punishment,' Deputy Federal Public Defender Samuel Cross said at his sentencing hearing in June. But U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton wasn't swayed, citing expert evaluations that concluded Girardi still had the cognitive ability to function independently in day-to-day life. 'He currently retains his independence as to his activities of daily living,' she said, ruling that prison was the appropriate consequence. Girardi's mental health has been the subject of fierce debate since 2020, when his law empire collapsed amid accusations of financial misconduct. A Long Beach psychiatrist diagnosed him with Alzheimer's, prompting his brother to place him under a conservatorship — but prosecutors suspected Girardi was faking the extent of his decline. Even federal neuropsychologist Dr. Tracy O'Connor Pennuto, who evaluated Girardi during a six-week stint at Butner prison hospital, determined that while he wasn't malingering, he did suffer from 'moderately advanced dementia' with signs of Alzheimer's. Girardi turned himself in after his legal team argued that sending the disgraced lawyer to prison would be a 'de facto death sentence' for a man who no longer even remembers the crimes he's being punished for She testified that his long-term memory remained mostly intact, but his short-term recall was impaired. 'He will not improve,' Pennuto warned. 'He will continue to decline over time.' Girardi was accused of stealing settlement funds from numerous clients, including families of victims of the 2018 Lion Air crash, and using the money to bankroll his and Jayne's opulent lifestyle. While his crimes have left deep scars, Jayne has been largely cleared of any involvement and was dismissed from related lawsuits. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, 54, has since moved on romantically and is now dating retired U.S. Army Special Ops agent John 'Shrek' McPhee — though her divorce from Girardi has yet to be finalized.
Reuters
14-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Girardi law firm CFO gets 65-month sentence in client funds case
July 14 (Reuters) - A federal judge in Chicago on Monday sentenced the former chief financial officer of California lawyer Tom Girardi's law firm Girardi Keese to 65 months in prison for his role in the misappropriation of millions of dollars in client funds, which were owed to families of the victims of a 2018 plane crash in Indonesia, prosecutors said. Christopher Kamon, 51, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland in Chicago. Kamon is already serving a 121-month sentence after pleading guilty in a California federal court to two counts of wire fraud on similar charges of bilking clients. A spokesperson for the Chicago U.S. Attorney's office said Kamon's Illinois and California sentences will run concurrently. A lawyer for Kamon did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Kamon has been incarcerated in federal jail since his arrest in November 2022. Federal prosecutors in Chicago charged Girardi, Kamon and David Lira, Girardi's son-in-law and a former lawyer at the firm, with misappropriating more than $3 million in client funds owed to families of the victims of the 2018 Boeing 737 MAX Lion Air Flight 610 crash in Indonesia. The crash killed all 189 onboard. A federal judge last month sentenced Girardi to more than seven years in prison in the related California prosecution, capping the once-prominent lawyer's rapid fall for enriching himself with settlement funds meant for his clients. Kamon had initially pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud and criminal contempt in the Chicago case. He changed his plea on Wednesday. Lira pleaded guilty to one charge of criminal contempt last month. His sentencing is scheduled for October. Rowland in May dismissed the Chicago charges against Girardi after prosecutors sought their dismissal in light of his California sentencing.
Fox News
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
'Real Housewives' star Erika Jayne moves on with US Army vet ‘Sheriff of Baghdad' while divorcing Tom Girardi
"Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Erika Jayne was spotted with a new man amid her ongoing divorce from Tom Girardi. Jayne and US Army veteran John "Shrek" McPhee were photographed holding hands on July 7 as the two ran errands in Los Angeles. The retired U.S. Army Special Operations Sergeant Major, also known as "The Sheriff of Baghdad," has over 20 years of distinguished service, according to his website. He now works as a bodyguard and owns his S.O.B. brand. McPhee works to train others virtually and in-person on a range of skills, the site states. McPhee revealed his previous marriages failed due to his military service during a May appearance on "The Megyn Kelly Show." "So I always say this, being married was like being in prison. You could call home [but] you ain't going there anytime soon. That's just how it works. That's how marriage works in the army," he said. "And that's tough on everybody. Only guys that had perfect relationships, their marriages survived the war. And I would say the bulk of guys end up divorced." Jayne filed for divorce from Girardi in 2020. "After much consideration, I have decided to end my marriage to Tom Girardi. This is not a step taken lightly or easily," she said at the time in a statement to People magazine. "I have great love and respect for Tom and for our years and the lives we built together." "It is my absolute wish to proceed through this process with respect and with the privacy that both Tom and I deserved. I request others give us that privacy as well." The estranged couple's divorce was at risk of being thrown out as of a June 26 hearing after four years of delays, US Weekly reported. Girardi's lawyer failed to appear in court. Jayne's lawyer recently revealed the divorce likely won't happen. "I don't think that the divorce will go anywhere," Jim Wilkes told The Sun. "He's not competent to defend it." Girardi was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2021 and was placed under a conservatorship. Girardi was indicted on federal fraud charges in February 2023. The charges stemmed from the attorney's choice to steal money from victims of the Lion Air Flight 610 crash. Following a 13-day trial, Girardi was found guilty of four counts of wire fraud by a jury. He was sentenced to over seven years behind bars in June 2025. Girardi's embezzlement was first brought to light in 2020 after he and his law firm, Girardi & Keese, were sued in civil court by the victims' families. Girardi, who was disbarred from the State Bar of California in July 2022, was known for his work representing plaintiffs against major corporations, specifically in the Pacific Gas & Electric case that inspired the 2000 film "Erin Brokovich." When Girardi won the $333 million settlement for the residents of the town of Hinkley, California, in the monumental 1996 PG&E case, it was, at the time, the largest ever paid direct-action lawsuit. "Tom Girardi built celebrity status and lured in victims by falsely portraying himself as a 'Champion of Justice,'" United States Attorney Martin Estrada said in a release following Girardi's guilty verdict. "In reality, he was a Robin-Hood-in-reverse, stealing from the needy to support a lavish, Hollywood lifestyle. Today's verdict shows that the game is up – we can all now see this defendant for what he was and the victims he callously betrayed."
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
RHOBH's Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi's Divorce Case May Be Dismissed
Divorces are complicated. When the man you're divorcing is a geriatric fraudster suffering from dementia and facing 7 years in prison for embezzling millions, things get really messy. That's the unfortunate reality for Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne, whose divorce from Tom Girardi remains in limbo. Ahead of Tom's fraud trial, some legal experts predicted the pair would remain married until death do them part. New legal documents reviewed by attorney Ronald Richards show that the courts are trying to push things forward. 'The family law judge has finally had enough and told her either get divorced or dismiss your case,' Ronald wrote, along with an order from the Superior Court of California. The court order sets a case for 'Order to Show Cause re: Failure to File Dismissal/Judgement on August 1, 2025.' Essentially, that means the courts are trying to move the process along. Their case can't just sit on hold forever. Previously, one of Erika's lawyers, Jim Wilkes, explained that the divorce remained stagnant because of Tom's inability to defend himself. He also pointed out that there's nothing to fight for in the divorce. ' It's so easy to say that Erika did this or Erika did that. Erika was left with nothing in her name. Tom has nothing; what he had they found and they liquidated,' Jim explained. Meanwhile, Ronald claimed that the lack of progress in the divorce could be for more strategic reasons. He said it could be a ploy to show 'contrived outrage' about the fraud her husband committed. It's a reminder that, despite Erika having a comeback in the entertainment industry, there are plenty of people who believe she was aware of the fraud. For next steps in the divorce, we'll have to wait until August 5. At that point, Erika might have to make a decision. She'll have to move forward with trying to divorce her felonious husband, or sit back and wait for fate to handle it for her. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills is streaming on Peacock and Hayu in the UK and Ireland. TELL US – DO YOU THINK ERIKA WILL PROCEED WITH DIVORCING TOM? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE LACK OF PROGRESS IN THE PROCEEDINGS? The post RHOBH's Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi's Divorce Case May Be Dismissed appeared first on Reality Tea.
