After Thomas Vincent Girardi was indicted on charges of embezzling more than $15 million from legal clients, the former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” husband pleaded not guilty Monday.
Girardi’s court appearance comes after prosecutors in Los Angeles and Chicago charged him with theft of more than $18 million last week.
The 83-year-old former lawyer allegedly stole from clients including an Arizona widow whose husband was killed in a boating accident, a Los Angeles couple injured in a car wreck that killed their son. Paralyzed and one person who suffered severe burns in 2010. San Bruno gas pipeline explosion.
Tom Girardi, former ‘Housewives’ husband and notorious lawyer, allegedly involved in $15 million embezzlement scam
Also indicted is Christopher Common, 49, who is the chief financial officer of Girardi’s law firm. Although he did not appear in court Monday, he has been jailed in a separate wire fraud case in which he is accused of embezzling funds from a law firm to renovate two L.A.-area homes, buy Charged with paying expenses and hiring an escort.
Thomas Vincent Girardi was indicted on charges of embezzling more than $15 million from legal clients. (AP Images)
During Girardi’s heyday as one of the nation’s most prominent plaintiffs’ lawyers, he took on powerful corporations, movie studios and Pacific Gas & Electric in a case that led to a $333 million settlement, which was followed in 2000 by Julia Roberts. Was featured in the movie “Erin Brockovich”. “
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Despite being a successful lawyer at the time, his law empire began to expand amid ongoing legal problems.
Erica Jean filed for divorce from Tom Girardi in November 2020. (Jane Lowery/Mega/GC Images/Irrfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)
Last year, Gerard lost his law license due to client theft. Creditors from his bankrupt Girardi Keese firm are seeking more than $500 million, and he is in divorce proceedings with Erica Jean, who starred on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.”
Tom Girardi, the ex-husband of “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Erica Jean, has pleaded not guilty in court to allegedly embezzling $15 million from clients. (YouTube/Bravo)
Girardi also faces federal wire fraud charges in Chicago, where he is accused of stealing nearly $3 million from family members of victims of the 2018 Line Air crash that killed 189 people.
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He was disbarred from the State Bar of California in July 2022 and currently resides in an assisted living facility memory care unit, having been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in March 2021. He is also under judicial protection under the supervision of his brother, Robert.
While Common is scheduled to appear in a Chicago court on Tuesday, Girardi’s arraignment is scheduled for March 3.
Girardi’s son-in-law David Lira, 62, also faces charges in the Chicago case and is scheduled to be arraigned Friday. His lawyer said he would not plead guilty.
Key Tracy Wright and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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