Disbarred Celebrity Lawyer Tom Girardi Sentenced to Over Seven Years for Embezzlement

Disbarred celebrity lawyer Tom Girardi was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison on Tuesday for embezzling tens of millions of dollars from vulnerable clients, including those with severe injuries and families of deceased accident victims.

U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton also imposed a $35,000 fine and ordered Girardi, 86, to pay $2.3 million in restitution to his former clients. Girardi was found guilty by a jury in August on four counts of wire fraud, facing a potential sentence of up to 80 years.

Girardi, once one of the nation’s most prominent attorneys and estranged husband of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Erika Jayne, appeared frequently on the reality show between 2015 and 2020. His legal career included high-profile cases, such as representing victims against California’s Pacific Gas and Electric utility, which resulted in a $333 million settlement famously depicted in the film “Erin Brockovich.”

His law practice collapsed amid accusations of client theft, leading to his disbarment in California in 2022.

Although diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and placed under conservatorship due to memory issues, Judge Staton ruled Girardi mentally competent to be sentenced, consistent with her earlier determination that he was fit for trial.

Girardi was allowed to remain free until sentencing but must surrender to authorities by July 17.

Victims who testified included an Arizona woman whose husband died in a boat accident and survivors of a 2010 San Bruno gas pipeline explosion. Prosecutors presented voicemails where Girardi gave false excuses to clients for withheld settlement funds, frequently asking them, “Don’t be mad at me.”

Swifteradio.com