LOS ANGELES — Former celebrity attorney Tom Girardi was sentenced Tuesday to over seven years in federal prison for stealing at least $15 million from his own clients in a long-running embezzlement scheme.
The 86-year-old disgraced lawyer, once known for high-profile litigation victories, was convicted in August 2024 on four counts of wire fraud. On June 3, U.S. District Judge Josephine Station sentenced him to prison, rejecting his legal team’s request for medical facility placement despite arguments about age-related dementia.
Girardi has been ordered to surrender on July 17. He must also pay $2.3 million in restitution and additional fines as part of his sentence.
The fraud spanned more than a decade, targeting some of his most vulnerable clients. One client, a man severely burned in a Northern California gas explosion that also killed his girlfriend, was among those Girardi stole from. Prosecutors say Girardi diverted settlement funds meant for victims to support private jets, jewelry, and a Hollywood lifestyle.
Girardi’s opulence was showcased on the reality series “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” which starred his now-estranged wife, Erika Girardi, also known as pop singer Erika Jayne.
“Tom Girardi built celebrity status and lured in victims by falsely portraying himself as a ‘Champion of Justice,’” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada. “In reality, he was a Robin Hood in reverse.”
Girardi’s downfall gained traction in 2021 when he was sued by a former colleague over the mishandling of settlement funds for families of victims in the 2018 Lion Air crash, which claimed 189 lives.
Once a titan of personal injury law, Girardi now faces a future behind bars, with a legacy marked not by justice—but betrayal.