Attorney Tom Girardi, who rose to fame after winning the real-life Erin Brockovich case and marrying “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Erika Jayne, is now disbarred but was sent to prison after being indicted. They must undergo cognitive testing to determine whether they should be sent to a specialized medical facility. A federal judge handed down the sentence Friday in the latest fraud conviction.
Mr. Girardi, 85, appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom but did not speak at the originally scheduled sentencing hearing. Instead of learning whether he will receive part or all of the 14-year prison sentence sought by prosecutors, he was ordered by U.S. District Judge Josephine Staton to surrender to U.S. marshals next month and be sent to North Carolina for psychiatric evaluation. He was ordered to be transferred to the state. His defense attorney claims he has dementia. The judge wants a test to determine whether he qualifies for care at a Bureau of Prisons center that houses elderly defendants with severe disabilities.
Girardi’s attorney, Samuel Cross, balked at making the long trip to Butner’s federal medical center, saying it would be too difficult for his client. “Mr. Girardi has special needs when it comes to memory,” Cross said. “We expect him to deteriorate and not do well (in prison custody). … There’s no reason this has to be done off the continent.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Paetti argued that U.S. marshals are “well-versed” in transporting defendants with medical problems. “The defendant is ambulatory. He is not on a ventilator and is not on a ventilator. They can safely, humanely and appropriately facilitate (his transportation).”
Judge Staton agreed with Paetti’s opinion. She ordered Girardi to surrender by January 7 and be transported to North Carolina the same day. “I would like him to go directly to the plane from where he is without stopping anywhere and end up in Butner,” Judge Staton said. After the test, which is expected to be completed within 30 days, Mr. Girardi is expected to return for another hearing, where Judge Staton will revisit his fate in further consideration of the test results.
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Girardi was found guilty last August on four counts of wire fraud for embezzling “tens of millions of dollars” from clients of the now-closed law firm Girardi & Keith. That was it. Prosecutors said Mr. Girardi diverted money from his law firm account to pay for private jet travel, luxury cars, jewelry, memberships at high-end golf and social clubs, and more than $25 million in expenses for Mr. Jain’s company. The jury took less than a day to deliberate. , EJ Global.
During the 13-day trial, some of Mr. Girardi’s former clients won a landmark $333 million settlement against Pacific Gas & Electric Co., which was featured in the 2000 film “Erin Brockovich.” Girardi’s role in the acquisition led him to become complacent, the Los Angeles Times reported. .
“Tom Girardi used his celebrity status to lure his victims by falsely portraying himself as a champion of justice,” U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada said after the sentencing. “In reality, he was the opposite of Robin Hood, stealing from the poor to support (his) lavish Hollywood lifestyle. Today’s verdict shows the game is over. We can now see this defendant for who he is and the victims he cruelly betrayed.”
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Prosecutors said that between October 2010 and the end of 2020, Girardi provided his clients with a “consecutive lie” so that they could withhold settlement payments and use them for himself. Prosecutors said Girardi at times falsely denied receiving the money or claimed he could not release it until “bogus” requirements, such as tax liability or judicial clearance, were met or obtained. .
“I trusted him too much,” Joseph Ruigomez, a former customer who suffered severe burns as a teenager in the San Bruno pipeline explosion in 2010, testified at trial, according to the Times. Part of Rui-Gomez’s $53 million settlement was used to compensate other Girardi clients in what prosecutors described as a pyramid scheme.
