Tom Girardi, the former plaintiffs’ lawyer who appeared on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, was sentenced on June 3, 2025, to 87 months in federal prison—seven years and three months—for wire fraud involving settlement funds owed to clients. The U.S. Department of Justice also reports a $35,000 fine and $2,310,247 in restitution.
What was Tom Girardi sentenced for?
A federal jury found Girardi guilty in August 2024 of four counts of wire fraud. The Justice Department said he took tens of millions of dollars from client settlement funds over a period of years. Some clients were waiting for money to pay for treatment for severe physical injuries; victims also included families of people killed in accidents, according to the Associated Press.
The case concerned money owed to clients, not Girardi’s appearances on television. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli characterized Girardi as a “self-proclaimed ‘champion of justice’” who had “conned his vulnerable clients out of the millions of dollars.” That was the prosecutor’s description, not a quotation from the judge.
How long is the prison sentence?
U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton imposed a term of 87 months—seven years and three months. Calling it “seven years” is a rounded shorthand; 87 months is the precise sentence reported by the Justice Department.
What money does Girardi have to pay?
The Justice Department says the court ordered Girardi to pay a $35,000 fine and $2,310,247 in restitution. The prison term is separate from these monetary orders. Restitution is ordered to compensate victims, while a fine is a financial penalty imposed by the court.
What does RHOBH have to do with the case?
Girardi was Erika Jayne’s estranged husband and appeared dozens of times on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills between 2015 and 2020, the Associated Press reported. The show explains why the case drew attention beyond the legal world, but the conviction and sentence arose from the handling of clients’ settlement money.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about his surrender and appeal?
The Justice Department’s June 3, 2025, sentencing announcement said Girardi was ordered to surrender by July 17, 2025. That was the original deadline; it does not establish his current custody location or later prison status.
A Ninth Circuit docket listing for appeal 25-3577 shows it was filed on June 5, 2025, and records the 87-month sentence. The listing’s most recent update is November 18, 2025, so it does not establish the appeal’s status as of October 2026. No current appeal outcome can be stated from that record.
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Sources
- U.S. Department of Justice: sentencing announcement
- Associated Press: sentencing and RHOBH background
- Ninth Circuit docket listing
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