Tom Girardi Will get 7 YEARS for Scamming His Personal Purchasers Out of $15M in 10-12 months Fraud Scheme!
Thomas Girardi, the previous high-profile lawyer and estranged husband of Actual Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne, has been sentenced to seven years and three months in federal jail following his conviction for defrauding weak shoppers out of greater than $15 million.
The 86-year-old was handed the sentence on Monday by U.S. District Decide Josephine Staton, almost a yr after a jury discovered him responsible of orchestrating a decade-long Ponzi-style scheme by means of his now-defunct legislation agency, Girardi Keese. Along with jail time, Tom should pay greater than $2.3 million in restitution and a $35,000 positive.
In accordance with the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the Central District of California, Tom strung alongside his shoppers with false guarantees and deceptive statements, mendacity in regards to the standing of their authorized settlements and creating faux roadblocks to delay funds.
“Tom despatched lulling communications to the defrauded shoppers that, amongst different issues, falsely denied that the settlement proceeds had been paid and falsely claimed that Girardi Keese couldn’t pay the settlement proceeds to shoppers till sure purported necessities had been met,” prosecutors acknowledged in a June 3 press release, citing fabricated explanations resembling excellent tax obligations, chapter proceedings, and judicial delays.
U.S. Lawyer Bilal Essayli didn’t mince phrases when describing the disgraced authorized determine.
“This self-proclaimed ‘champion of justice’ was nothing greater than a thief and a liar who conned his weak shoppers out of hundreds of thousands of {dollars},” Bilal mentioned.
Previous to sentencing, Tom’s authorized group requested that the courtroom enable him to serve time in a psychological well being care facility on account of his analysis of Alzheimer’s illness and claims of diminished capability. Nonetheless, Decide Staton expressed doubt in regards to the severity of his situation and dominated that incarceration in a federal jail could be acceptable and secure.
Tom Girardi appeared in courtroom utilizing a wheelchair, reportedly displaying little emotion because the sentence was learn. Tom former chief of accounting, Christopher Kamon, who was additionally implicated within the fraud scheme, has already been sentenced to 10 years in jail after pleading responsible to wire fraud earlier this yr.
In the meantime, David Lira, Girardi’s son-in-law and a former lawyer on the agency, is scheduled to face trial subsequent month on associated fraud prices.
Tom Girardi’s estranged spouse, Erika Jayne, stays embroiled in ongoing litigation related to the fallout. She is at present going through a $24 million lawsuit introduced by the chapter trustee overseeing the stays of Girardi Keese. Her trial is anticipated later this yr.
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Nancy Zhāng is an Leisure Blogger for All About The Tea. Nancy covers scorching subjects, recaps and celeb information. She likes to multi-task as a author and a non-public chef. She acquired a B.S. in Mass Communications from LSU. Nancy’s married and the proud mother of two German Shepherds.