Disbarred attorney Thomas Vincent Girardi has been sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for embezzling tens of millions of dollars from his clients. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton, who also ordered Girardi to pay a $35,000 fine and $2,310,247 in restitution. Girardi is required to surrender to federal authorities by July 17.
Girardi was found guilty of four counts of wire fraud in August 2024. United States Attorney Bill Essayli stated, “This self-proclaimed ‘champion of justice’ was nothing more than a thief and a liar who conned his vulnerable clients out of the millions of dollars.” He added that his office would continue to prosecute corrupt lawyers.
Special Agent Tyler Hatcher from the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Los Angeles Field Office commented on the case: “This sentencing brings a level of recompense for countless victims of Mr. Girardi’s long-running scheme to enrich himself on the backs of clients who trusted him.”
The FBI’s Akil Davis noted that Girardi will now face justice after betraying his clients’ trust. “Mr. Girardi, once a self-proclaimed ‘legal legend,’ will now find himself on the opposite end of justice as he serves out his lengthy prison sentence,” Davis said.
Girardi ran the now-defunct law firm Girardi Keese in Los Angeles. From October 2010 to late 2020, he misappropriated funds from client trust accounts, operating the firm like a Ponzi scheme with co-defendant Christopher Kazuo Kamon, former CFO at Girardi Keese.
Girardi used deceitful communications to delay payments to defrauded clients and diverted millions from the firm’s accounts for personal luxuries and expenses related to EJ Global, linked to his wife’s entertainment career.
In November 2022, Kamon was arrested and later pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in October 2024. He received a sentence of 121 months in custody and was ordered to pay $8,903,324 in restitution. Kamon remains in federal custody since his arrest.
Kamon is set to plead guilty to additional federal fraud charges in Chicago alongside former Girardi Keese lawyer David R. Lira. The trial is scheduled for July 14.
The investigation involved IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI with assistance from the Office of the United States Trustee. Assistant United States Attorney Scott Paetty prosecuted this case.
