LA Magazine’s Meghann Cuniff tweeted a press release from the Los Angeles US Attorney’s Office detailing Tom Girardi’s criminal charges, which include five counts of wire fraud. Girardi stands accused of “embezzling more than $15 million” to fund his extravagant lifestyle and keep his now-estranged wife, Erika Jayne, in the lap of luxury. Meanwhile, Chicago Tribune court reporter Jason Meisner tweeted that Girardi had also been “indicted on fraud charges in Chicago as well as Los Angeles.” The attorney has been accused of “running a Ponzi scheme with client money” from his now-defunct windy city offices.
The Los Angeles Times reports that in 2022 Girardi was hit with a double whammy after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and disbarred, preventing him from ever practicing law again. However, his clients were allegedly hit way harder. One of the many claims against Girardi is that he wired $300,000 of client funds to a woman with whom he had an affair.
Read Related Also: Snake found among handbags at charity shop
However, the most grievous charge is that Girardi allegedly stole “more than $3 million in legal settlement money stemming from the Lion Air Flight 610 crash.” The money was intended for the families and loved ones of the 189 passengers and crew who all died after their plane nose-dived into the Java sea shortly after take off. ABC Australia reports that Girardi’s personal attorneys have admitted that he took over $2 million from the funds for his personal use.
