Disbarred Lawyer Tom Girardi Begins 7-Year Prison Sentence for $15M Embezzlement

Tom Girardi, the 86-year-old disgraced attorney and estranged husband of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne, has surrendered to federal prison to begin serving a seven-year sentence for embezzling over $15 million from his clients. Girardi was found guilty of wire fraud and stealing settlement funds from victims, including families affected by the 2018 Lion Air flight crash, which he used to finance his and Jayne's lavish lifestyle. Despite his diagnosis of dementia and late-onset Alzheimer's, his legal team's request to have him serve his sentence in a long-term care facility was denied, with the court ruling that his condition does not exempt him from prison. He is now held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, and it remains uncertain how the prison system will accommodate his cognitive decline. Girardi's sentencing also included a $2.3 million restitution order and a $35,000 fine. Meanwhile, his divorce from Erika Jayne remains unresolved, with a court hearing scheduled to address the pending case.