A federal jury found former California plaintiffs’ attorney Thomas Vincent Girardi guilty of four counts of wire fraud on August 27, 2024. The case concerned clients’ settlement money. On June 3, 2025, a judge sentenced him to 87 months in federal prison, fined him $35,000, and ordered him to pay $2,310,247 in restitution, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Why was Tom Girardi found guilty of wire fraud?
The prosecution concerned money owed to clients after legal settlements. In its August 27, 2024 conviction announcement, the Justice Department said a 13-day trial presented evidence that Girardi misappropriated funds from client trust accounts and settlements, leaving some clients with severe injuries unpaid. Prosecutors described conduct from October 2010 through late 2020.
According to the Justice Department’s account of the evidence, Girardi gave clients false explanations for delayed or missing payments, including that the money was being held for taxes, bankruptcy claims, court approval, or other debts. The jury found him guilty on four wire-fraud counts.
At sentencing, the Justice Department characterized the firm’s operation as resembling a Ponzi scheme: money from newer settlements was used for incremental payments to clients who had previously been defrauded, or for unrelated expenses. That is the department’s description of the scheme, not a separate conviction. The department also said firm operating-account funds were diverted, including more than $25 million for EJ Global expenses, and that firm funds paid for private travel, jewelry, luxury cars, and clubs.
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What sentence did Girardi receive?
On June 3, 2025, U.S. District Judge Josephine L. Staton sentenced Girardi to 87 months in federal prison, a $35,000 fine, and $2,310,247 in restitution, the Justice Department announced. The prison term is seven years and three months. The department’s announcement said he was to surrender by July 17, 2025.
Case timeline
- August 27, 2024: A federal jury in Los Angeles found Girardi guilty of four wire-fraud counts after a 13-day trial.
- June 3, 2025: Judge Staton imposed the prison sentence, fine, and restitution order.
- July 17, 2025: The surrender date stated in the Justice Department’s sentencing announcement.
Girardi’s case is separate from Christopher Kamon’s
Christopher Kazuo Kamon, Girardi Keese’s former accounting chief, pleaded guilty to two wire-fraud counts in October 2024 and was sentenced to 121 months in prison on April 11, 2025, according to the Justice Department. Kamon’s plea and sentence are separate from Girardi’s jury conviction and 87-month sentence. The department also said Girardi was dismissed from a separate Chicago case after his conviction and sentencing in this case.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the restitution order means
The $2,310,247 figure is the amount of restitution ordered at sentencing. The Justice Department materials cited here do not establish how much has ultimately been collected or whether later appeal or custody developments changed the status of the case.
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