Latest news with #Jayne
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'RHOBH' alum Tom Girardi sentenced to 7 years in federal prison for embezzling tens of millions of dollars
Tom Girardi, the famed personal injury attorney who was depicted in the Oscar-winning movie Erin Brockovich and is also the estranged husband of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne, has been sentenced to more than seven years behind bars for bilking his clients out of millions of dollars. The U.S. Attorney's Office of the Central District of California announced Tuesday that Girardi, who was disbarred in 2022, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for leading an embezzlement scheme that defrauded his clients of tens of millions of dollars, much of it meant for treatment for serious physical injuries. Girardi, 86, was also ordered to pay a $35,000 fine and more than $2 million in restitution, and to surrender to federal authorities by July 17. "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," U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement. IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher added, "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 in some of their worst days." An attorney for Girardi didn't immediately respond to Entertainment Weekly's request for comment. Girardi was indicted on charges of stealing more than $18 million from clients in 2023 and found guilty on four counts of wire fraud last August. The 13-day trial found that the disgraced attorney operated his firm, Girardi Keese, "like a Ponzi-scheme," federal prosecutors said, diverting millions won from settlements toward unrelated expenditures between 2010 and 2020. Families of victims of tragedies like a 2018 Lion Air plane crash, for example, were awarded millions in cases fought by Girardi and his co-conspirators, but said they never saw the Girardi Keese CFO Christopher Kazuo Kamon pleaded guilty two two counts of wire fraud in October, was sentenced to 121 months in custody, and was ordered to pay nearly $9 million in restitution. Another Girardi Keese lawyer and Girardi's son-in-law, David R. Lira, is expected to stand trial next month. Jayne filed for divorce from Girardi in 2020 and the couple remain legally separated, though their divorce has not been finalized. Jayne was not implicated in last year's verdict against her ex, but federal prosecutors said during Girardi's trial that among the misappropriated funds, $25 million went to EJ Global, a company founded by Jayne to finance her entertainment career. Girardi and Jayne were jointly hit by a lawsuit alleging embezzlement in 2020, but she was dismissed from the case in 2022. Though the law firm which brought the suit, Edelson PC, claimed at the time of Jayne's dismissal that it planned to refile, a new suit has yet to materialize. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Erika Jayne's Ex Tom Girardi Sentenced to Over 7 Years in Prison
Originally appeared on E! Online Tom Girardi will be spending several years behind bars. Nine months after Erika Jayne's estranged husband was found guilty of four counts of wire fraud related to an embezzlement scheme at his law firm Girardi Keese, he was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison, according to U.S. attorney Bilal A. Essayli. '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,' Essayli said in a June 3 press release. 'My office will vigorously prosecute corrupt lawyers and those who assist them in criminal activities.' In addition to Girardi's time behind bars, the 86-year-old has been ordered to pay a $35,000 fine and $2,310,247 in restitution to the victims of his embezzlement scheme, in which he was convicted of stealing millions of dollars from his clients—including relatives of victims of a 2018 plane crash that killed 189 people—to pay for both his law firm's and his own personal expenses. More from E! Online Ellen Pompeo Detained for Hour by TSA and Bomb Squad Over Erewhon Sunflower Seeds Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's Daughter Shiloh Debuts New Name Vanessa Bryant Seemingly Addresses Pregnancy Speculation 'Mr. Girardi, once a self-proclaimed 'legal legend' who purported to fight corporate greed, will now find himself on the opposite end of justice as he serves out his lengthy prison sentence,' the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis said in the release. 'Years of hard work went into this case by agents and prosecutors motivated to pursue justice for the victims who were betrayed by Girardi after putting their trust in his corrupt law firm in their time of need and while enduring personal hardship.' Girardi, who had pleaded not guilty to the charges ahead of his trial, has been ordered by the court to surrender to federal authorities by July 17. E! News has reached out to Girardi's attorney for comment and has not heard back. Though Jayne had been previously named in a 2020 fraud lawsuit as a person who aided and abetted her estranged husband's alleged crimes, she was found in 2022 to have 'no actual knowledge' of Girardi's dealings, according to court documents obtained by E! News. Read on to see where Jayne falls within E! News' official ranking of all the Real Housewives. 159-162. The Real Housewives of D.C.158. Kimberly Bryant, The Real Housewives of Orange County157. Tammy Knickerbocker, The Real Housewives of Orange County156. DeShawn Snow, The Real Housewives of Atlanta155. Elizabeth Lyn Vargas, The Real Housewives of Orange County154. Jennie Nguyen, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City153. Quinn Fry, The Real Housewives of Orange County152. Jen Armstrong, The Real Housewives of Orange County151: Annemarie Wiley, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills150. Katie Rost, The Real Housewives of Potomac149. Charrisse Jackson Jordan, The Real Housewives of Potomac148. Shamari DeVoe, The Real Housewives of Atlanta147. Peggy Sulahian, The Real Housewives of Orange County146. Nneka Ihim, The Real Housewives of Potomac145. Noella Bergener, The Real Housewives of Orange County144. Siggy Flicker, The Real Housewives of New Jersey143. Amber Marchese, RHONJ142. Karent Sierra, The Real Housewives of Miami141. Cristy Rice,The Real Housewives of Miami140. Jules Wainstein, The Real Housewives of New York City138-139. Teresa Aprea and Nicole Napolitano, RHONJ137. Nina Ali, The Real Housewives of Dubai136. Taleen Marie, The Real Housewives of Dubai135. Eva Marcille, RHOA For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tom Girardi, former 'Real Housewives' husband, sentenced to 7 years in prison
Former "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" husband and attorney Tom Girardi was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison Tuesday for embezzling millions of dollars from former clients. Judge Josephine L. Staton also ordered the 86-year-old to pay $2.3 million in restitution to victims and a $35,000 fine during the hearing in Los Angeles court. Last year, the disbarred attorney and estranged husband of "RHOBH" star Erika Jayne was found guilty of stealing tens of millions of dollars in settlement funds from former clients for more than a decade. His victims included relatives of those killed in the 2018 Lion Air crash in the Java Sea, which killed 189 people. The former powerhouse used to run the Girardi Keese law firm, which is now closed. "Girardi sent lulling communications to the defrauded clients that, among other things, falsely denied that the settlement proceeds had been paid and falsely claimed that Girardi Keese could not pay the settlement proceeds to clients until certain purported requirements had been met," the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California said in a news release. "These bogus requirements included addressing supposed tax obligations, settling bankruptcy claims, obtaining supposedly necessary authorizations from judges, and satisfying other debts." Federal prosecutors said that Girardi used his status to pilfer money from clients, whom he represented in cases involving severe injuries. "This self-proclaimed 'champion of justice' was nothing more than a thief and a liar who conned his vulnerable clients out of millions of dollars," said U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bilal Essayli. Girardi was convicted by a federal jury of four wire fraud charges after a 13-day trial in August. Christopher Kamon, a former head of accounting for Girardi's law firm, was also tried for two counts of wire fraud and accused of aiding and abetting the former lawyer's scheme, according to the U.S. attorney's office. Kamon pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Girardi's son-in-law and former lawyer for his firm, David Lira, will also go on trial next month for federal fraud charges. Girardi is known for his role in the 1993 groundwater contamination lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electric Co. The case inspired the 2000 film "Erin Brockovich," which starred Julia Roberts. He also appeared regularly in Bravo reality series "RHOBH" alongside his now-estranged wife. Federal prosecutors said Girardi diverted more than $25 million from his law firm's operating account to pay expenses for EJ Global, a company formed for Jayne's entertainment career. The money was spent on luxury cars, private jet travel, jewelry and exclusive clubs, according to prosecutors. Jayne, 53, filed for divorce in 2020 after allegations against Girardi emerged, and has said on the show that the divorce is in process because of his mental and physical decline. She was named in a lawsuit that alleged she knew about Girardi's embezzlement in the Lion Air case, but has maintained that she had no knowledge of any fraud he committed. Jayne was dismissed from the suit in 2022. Girardi was deemed fit to stand trial early last year despite his lawyers arguing that he has Alzheimer's disease, which they said left him confused and with memory problems. Girardi had been living in an assisted care facility throughout the trial and while awaiting sentencing. The former lawyer was ordered to surrender to federal authorities no later than July 17. Jayne was in London on Tuesday when Girardi was sentenced, preparing for a performance at the city's famed KOKO club. In an interview with Vogue U.K. that was also published Tuesday, she spoke about picking herself up after dark times. "We all go through things — you have to realize that you're not the only one," she told the outlet. "And you have to find the will to take baby steps until you feel more comfortable, and those baby steps might last for a long time." This article was originally published on
NBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Tom Girardi, former 'Real Housewives' husband, sentenced to 7 years in prison
Former "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" husband Tom Girardi has been sentenced to seven years and three months in prison in a Los Angeles court on Tuesday. The 86-year-old was also ordered to pay $2 million in restitution to victims. Last year, the 86-year-old disbarred attorney and estranged husband of "RHOBH" star Erika Jayne was found guilty of stealing millions of dollars from former clients for over a decade, including $3 million from relatives of the victims of the 2018 Lion Air crash in the Java Sea, which killed 189 people. A federal jury convicted Girardi on four wire fraud charges after a 13-day trial. Federal prosecutors said that the former high-profile attorney used his status to pilfer money from clients, whom he represented in cases involving severe injuries. Girardi is known for his role in the 1993 groundwater contamination lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electric Co. The case inspired the 2000 film "Erin Brockovich," which starred Julia Roberts. He also appeared regularly in Bravo reality series "RHOBH" alongside his now-estranged wife, Jayne, one of the show's main stars. Federal prosecutors said Girardi diverted more than $25 million from his law firm's operating account to pay expenses for EJ Global, a company formed for Jayne's entertainment career. The money was spent on luxury cars, private jet travel, jewelry and exclusive clubs, according to prosecutors. Jayne, 53, filed for divorce in 2020 after allegations against Girardi emerged, and has said on the show that the divorce is still in process because of his mental and physical decline. She was named in a lawsuit that alleged she knew about Girardi's embezzlement in the Lion Air case, but has maintained that she had no knowledge of any fraud he committed. Jayne was dismissed from the suit in 2022. Girardi was deemed fit to stand trial early last year despite his lawyers arguing that he has Alzheimer's disease, which they said left him confused and with memory problems. Girardi had been living in an assisted care facility throughout the trial and while awaiting sentencing. Jayne was in London on her estranged husband's sentencing day, preparing for a performance at the city's famed KOKO club. In an interview with Vogue U.K. that was also published Tuesday, Jayne spoke about picking herself up after dark times. "We all go through things — you have to realize that you're not the only one," she told the outlet. "And you have to find the will to take baby steps until you feel more comfortable, and those baby steps might last for a long time."
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
'Playing darts helps me overcome my dyspraxia'
Growing up, Jackson could not enjoy the simple childhood pleasure of riding a bike after being diagnosed with dyspraxia, a developmental disorder affecting balance and the 17-year-old says he has "amazed" doctors by becoming an accomplished darts from Skegby in Nottinghamshire, says his passion for the sport began when his grandad gifted him a magnetic dartboard when he was three - and he has since gone on to win a world says practising and competing is helping him to overcome his ongoing condition. His mother Jayne told the BBC: "He was into darts ever since he's been able to pick up one and throw it."When we told the doctor he played darts, she was amazed and I think if she saw him now, she'd be even more amazed with how well he's done despite his dyspraxia."Jackson said the condition still affected his "chalking" [adding up his score] but not his actual throwing - with his mother crediting the power of "muscle memory"."I think people are surprised when they hear I've got that condition but nowadays it's just kind of easy for me," Jackson 2024, he won the International Disabled Darts Federation (IDDF) Youth World Championships and reached the semi-finals of the England Academy Masters. He has competed in tournaments in Scotland, Gibraltar and Germany, and has set his sights on qualifying for the Professional Darts Corporation to compete against the sport's elite. Jackson says the key to his sucess are good form, the right set of darts and plenty of practice."Since Luke Littler's come on to the scene, a lot of people want to use his darts and his tips, which are 41mm tips," he said."Many people cant throw those, you need to find what works for you."His success led his parents to setting up King Darts Academy in Mansfield Woodhouse for children and young people, where they said Jackson's story had been an inspiration to other Jackson has no issue with putting in the hours to reach the next level, spending up to seven hours a day honing his skills - and even more in the run-up to a tournament."I absolutely love darts so I just practice, practice practice," he said.
