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

Former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Tom Girardi, the disbarred attorney, was found guilty Tuesday in the embezzlement of millions of dollars from his former clients.

A federal jury in Los Angeles convicted Girardi, the 85-year-old estranged husband of “Real Housewives” star Erika Jayne, on four wire fraud charges. The charges alleged he stole money from his clients over a decade, including $3 million from relatives of the victims of the 2018 Lion Air crash in the Java Sea, which killed 189 people.

He pleaded not guilty last year. His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 6.

Tyler Hatcher, special agent in charge of the IRS criminal investigation unit in Los Angeles, said Girardi “exploited his clients’ misfortunes on a grand scale.”

“His clients sought his help in the wake of significant trauma and injury, yet he violated their trust to steal from them and fund his own lavish lifestyle, and he will now face the consequences of his actions,” Hatcher said in a statement.

Investigators with the FBI and the IRS were tipped off by victims who reached out across districts, officials said Tuesday.

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

Federal prosecutors allege that Girardi used his role as a high-profile attorney to pilfer money from the clients, whom he represented in cases involving severe injuries.

Girardi’s public defender filed court documents indicating he planned to blame his law firm’s former chief financial officer Christopher Kamon, who is being tried separately.

One of the firm’s accounting employees testified that there was a secret bank account to which funds were transferred that Girardi appeared to have no knowledge of, according to Bloomberg Law. The employee, Norina Rouillard, said she was directed to personally deal with checks sent to a bank in San Bernardino, California.

Rouillard also testified that by late 2020, Girardi already appeared to be in cognitive decline. She testified that Girardi “couldn’t remember s—, he was delusional, and there was nothing that could be done,” Bloomberg reported.

It was only in January that Girardi was deemed competent to stand trial; his attorney argued that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and was unable to take part in the proceedings. Authorities have frozen Girardi’s assets, and he has been living in an assisted living facility.

The judge disagreed with the public defender, ruling that Girardi was able to stand trial and that he was believed to be exaggerating his symptoms.

Girardi is widely known for his role in the 1993 groundwater contamination lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electric Co. The case inspired the 2000 film “Erin Brockovich,” starring Julia Roberts.

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

The U.S. attorney’s office said Girardi diverted more than $25 million from his firm’s operating account to pay the expenses of EJ Global, a company formed for Jayne’s entertainment career. The federal prosecutors say that is in addition to the millions spent on private jet travel, jewelry, luxury cars and exclusive clubs.

Girardi betrayed the trust of his most vulnerable clients, people who suffered traumatic events and needed his help, U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada told reporters. Estrada called it “truly repugnant” behavior.

“His insatiable appetite for money is what led him to court and what led to this verdict today,” Estrada said.

Jayne was also named in a lawsuit alleging she knew about her husband’s embezzlement in the Lion Air case, which accused him of stealing to keep up with the “never-ending spending spree by himself and Jayne.” She was dismissed from the suit in 2022.

The couple are separated. Jayne filed for divorce in 2020 shortly after the allegations against Girardi emerged. She has said on previous episodes of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” that she has struggled to be granted the divorce because of Girardi’s mental and physical decline.