“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Erika Jayne‘s husband Thomas Girardi was found in contempt of court and is facing a possible federal criminal investigation over embezzlement accusations.
According to reports, a Federal judge placed Thomas and his law firm in civil contempt of court after failing to explain where settlement funds went that were meant to pay the families of plane crash victims.
Page Six said the judge ordered Thomas and his law firm Girardi & Keese’s assets to be frozen until things were explained.
The judge also referred the case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for possible criminal investigation.
As The Blast previously reported, last month, Erika and Thomas were accused of embezzling money in a massive federal lawsuit.
The class-action firm Edelson PC, who is representing a bunch of Boeing plane crash victims who won a settlement while being represented by Thomas, filed the case.
The plaintiffs say they did not receive the full payment and believe Thomas sent the money to Erika’s company to keep it from the families. Erika was added as a defendant in the lawsuit. They believe Thomas sent the money to Erika to fund their lavish lifestyles.”
The documents claim, “Tom has resorted to embezzling the proceeds of settlements that should have been directed to his clients—including, as the basis for this Complaint, the widows and orphans who lost loved ones in the tragic crash of Lion Air Flight 610—in order to continue funding his and Erika’s lavish Beverly Hills lifestyles.”
The suit claims Thomas and his firm “are on the verge of financial collapse and locked in a downward spiral of mounting debts and dwindling funds” due in part to his “need to fund outrageous lifestyles for himself and his soon-to-be ex-wife Erika Jayne.”
The federal lawsuit is only one of Thomas’s many legal issues at the moment. The Blast first reported Erika’s lawyer husband was sued by Wells Fargo after he failed to make payments on his office equipment. They are demanding $800,000 in damages plus a court order allowing them to seize all the property from Thomas’s two offices.
Earlier today, Thomas was hit with another lawsuit by his former law firm partner, Robert Keese. In the suit, Robert claims Thomas owes him over $500,000 on a deal they reached, He wants his money ASAP!
Earlier this year, Erika filed for divorce from Thomas after 21 years of marriage. She cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split. She is demanding spousal support in the case but Thomas is fighting her request.
After she filed the petition, Erika moved out of their Pasadena mega-mansion and into her own West Hollywood condo.
The Sun spoke to a source who claims, “Tom is fully supportive of her move and independence. They haven’t been sexual for a long time, and the split had been on the cards for months.”
The divorce has yet to be finalized.
