A federal courtroom jury in Los Angeles discovered Tom Girardi, as soon as a authorized titan and now a disgraced former legal professional, responsible Tuesday of wire fraud for main a years lengthy scheme during which he embezzled tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars}.
The verdict concluded a 13-day trial during which prosecutors elicited emotional testimony from former shoppers, together with a burn sufferer and a widow whose husband died in a boating accident, workers of the now-closed legislation agency Girardi Keese and an outdoor legal professional who struggled to get a girl the settlement cash she’d been granted.
As shoppers went unpaid, prosecutors informed the jury, Girardi spent cash on non-public jets, nation golf equipment and the leisure profession of his now-estranged spouse, Erika Girardi, a star of “Actual Housewives of Beverly Hills.”
Girardi, 85, had been on trial on 4 counts of wire fraud; he was discovered responsible on all 4.
The jury deliberated for roughly 4 hours earlier than delivering a verdict. Girardi, in the identical grey blazer he’d worn all through the trial, swiveled backwards and forwards in his chair as he waited to listen to his destiny.
He turned to observe Decide Josephine Staton as she learn the decision, face emotionless. As she recited the ultimate responsible verdict, he rubbed his brow. He could possibly be sentenced to as much as 80 years in jail.
After the proceedings ended, Girardi was requested by a reporter if he needed to remark. He chuckled and mentioned, “No. No.”
Kathleen Ruigomez, the mom of an adolescent who had been injured in an explosion, sat within the entrance row of the courtroom. She’d testified for the prosecution and cried as the decision was learn.
Federal public defenders and the prosecutors within the case declined to remark.
However in a information convention exterior the courthouse, U.S. Atty. Martin Estrada known as Girardi a “disgraced lawyer” who portrayed himself “as a champion for the little man.”
“Mr. Girardi was no champion for justice, the truth is he was a perpetrator of injustice, victimizing his personal shoppers once they had been most susceptible and most in want,” Estrada mentioned. “This verdict represents a exceptional fall from grace.”
Sentencing is ready for Dec. 6. Girardi will stay free till then. Staton mentioned he’s neither a hazard to the group nor a flight threat.
Exterior the courthouse, juror Miguel Lopez informed The Occasions the jury believed Girardi was responsible as a result of “all of the proof was there.” He mentioned jurors relied on that proof, and “it wasn’t a tough resolution.”
Through the trial, Girardi’s federal public defenders contended their consumer was mentally incompetent, unable to help his personal attorneys — not to mention retain any short-term reminiscence — and within the throes of progressive cognitive decline.
“Mr. Girardi received outdated, and he received sick, and he misplaced his thoughts,” Deputy Public Defender Charles Snyder informed the jury on Monday.
Snyder argued that Girardi was working the agency in title solely and known as it a “Weekend at Bernie’s” state of affairs during which companions on the agency had been “propping him as much as maintain the occasion going.”
Prosecutors acknowledged in closing arguments that Girardi seemed to be coping with cognitive points in 2020, however they urged the jury to assume again to 2010 when the scheme first started — one thing that appeared to resonate.
“He has psychological issues, but it surely simply began proper now,” Lopez mentioned about Girardi. “It wasn’t from earlier than.”
Through the trial, the white-haired Girardi shuffled to and from his seat subsequent to his legal professionals, his arms trembling as he went. A lady in scrubs at occasions guided him, and, in a single occasion, when the jury was not within the room, Girardi snapped at considered one of his legal professionals making an attempt to direct him to the proper seat.
“I understand how to sit down,” the defendant mentioned.
However it remained unclear how out of it Girardi actually was, as he jotted down notes on a yellow authorized pad whereas witnesses testified for the prosecution. At occasions, Girardi seemed to be making an attempt to direct his legal professionals, handing considered one of them a paper he’d written on earlier than he took the stand.
The responsible verdict was the most recent low level for Girardi, who over the course of his decades-long profession cultivated shut ties with mayors, governors, senators, judges and Supreme Courtroom justices. A once-legendary plaintiff’s legal professional, he was revered — and feared — by fellow attorneys for the nine-figure settlements he brokered and the highly effective officers he counted as associates.
Through the information convention Tuesday afternoon, Estrada acknowledged the affect Girardi had with different legal professionals and judges.
“Mr. Girardi was a lawyer who had all of it. He was thought-about the most effective legal professionals in America, he had one of many largest and some of the profitable corporations in America,” Estrada mentioned. “He was paid very nicely for all that he did, however that wasn’t sufficient for him. He needed much more. His insatiable urge for food for cash is what led him to courtroom and what led to this verdict.”
Girardi’s protection legal professionals laid the blame for the huge fraud at Girardi Keese on the agency’s longtime chief monetary officer, Chris Kamon, accusing him of stealing greater than $50 million. Kamon can also be charged with wire fraud in reference to the theft of consumer cash, together with a separate case during which he’s accused of embezzling funds from the agency to finance the acquisition of properties and a $20,000-per-month cost to his girlfriend.
“This was Mr. Kamon’s scheme,” Snyder mentioned in closing arguments. “This was completely not [Girardi’s] fraud.”
Girardi’s legislation agency imploded in late 2020 amid proof that he stole settlements from widows and orphans in an Indonesian aircraft crash, and lots of of former shoppers and distributors got here ahead saying they had been collectively cheated out of lots of of thousands and thousands of {dollars}. He was disbarred in July 2022.
Through the trial, former shoppers of the agency informed the jury that they had been impressed by Girardi’s file of successes — together with securing a $333-million settlement in opposition to Pacific Gasoline & Electrical featured within the film “Erin Brockovich.” He made guarantees that every little thing could be superb and informed them to not fear, they mentioned.
“I trusted him an excessive amount of,” testified Joseph Ruigomez, who suffered catastrophic burn accidents as an adolescent in a 2010 San Bruno pipeline explosion, which killed his girlfriend.
After Girardi negotiated a $53-million settlement for the household, Ruigomez and his mom detailed late funds and excuses piling up. An IRS agent later testified that a number of the Ruigomez settlement funds went to compensate different Girardi shoppers whose settlements he had beforehand misappropriated.
In voicemails and letters introduced in courtroom, Girardi repeated the identical chorus to pissed off shoppers asking for the cash they had been owed: “Don’t be mad at me.”
“He picked these individuals within the darkest hour of their life and informed them what he thought they’d consider,” Assistant U.S. Atty. Ali Moghaddas informed the jury in closing arguments Monday. “What you noticed on this case is, for years, the defendant was working a Ponzi scheme.”
Lopez, the juror, mentioned essentially the most damaging proof in opposition to Girardi had been the lies he informed shoppers. Lopez mentioned the consumer cash was speculated to be within the belief account, and Girardi was utilizing the cash for “private causes.”
The juror mentioned he felt dangerous for the victims who testified, together with Ruigomez, Josefina Hernandez, who was injured by a medical machine and preventing chapter, Judy Selberg, who misplaced her husband in a boating accident and Erika Saldana, whose 1-year-old son turned paraplegic after a drunk driver hit the household automobile.
Saldana’s son later died. Her household by no means obtained an impressive $1 million they had been owed.
“Lots of people had been in ache, and he was benefiting from them,” Lopez mentioned.
Through the trial, Girardi’s federal public defenders known as greater than 10 witnesses, together with Dr. Helena Chui, who testified that Girardi has dementia; his former housekeeper of about 20 years; and his secretaries on the legislation agency.
Lopez mentioned the jury believed the physician prosecutors had known as to the stand, “as a result of he has extra info” and Chui “didn’t have sufficient info on the case.”
Girardi faces one other trial in 2025 in Chicago on costs that he and others on the agency stole payouts made by Boeing to households whose family members died in an Indonesian aircraft crash.
Occasions workers author Matt Hamilton contributed to this report.
