Ex-Girardi Keese CFO invested business dollars on household reworking, escort, affidavit says

(Reuters) – The former chief economic officer of defunct regulation agency Girardi Keese bought a $2.4 million home in The Bahamas in an endeavor to steer clear of currently being implicated in the customer fund embezzlement scandal that sunk plaintiffs lawyer Tom Girardi’s lawful job, according to a recently unsealed affidavit.

Prosecutors this month charged Christopher Kamon, 49, with wire fraud. He faces a highest 20 decades in prison if convicted on allegations that he invested much more than $8 million of Girardi Keese’s dollars on extensive household reworking, unique sports cars and trucks and an escort.

U.S. Magistrate Choose Matthew Maddox in Baltimore purchased Kamon to be held without having bail final week. Kamon has not still entered a plea. His law firm, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom husband or wife Jessie Liu, did not reply to a ask for for comment.

FBI Distinctive Agent Elias Guerrero claimed in an affidavit disclosed Wednesday that Kamon would explain to a Girardi Keese secretary that the firm’s running accounts ended up minimal. Girardi would then convey to Kamon to use consumer money in the firm’s accounts to replenish these other functioning accounts, in accordance to Guerrero.

Kamon allegedly funneled more than $4 million of the regulation firm’s operating accounts — which were being “virtually completely funded with revenue from GK’s client believe in accounts” — to shell out for in depth building on his properties, Guerrero mentioned.

Kamon also employed organization funds to set up a $20,000 a thirty day period allowance for Nicole Rokita, an escort he fulfilled on the internet, Guerrero said. He bought her a Tesla, employed the firm’s American Express card to just take her on lavish journeys all around the globe, and arranged for her to acquire health and fitness insurance coverage through Girardi Keese, Guerrero said.

Rokita did not immediately respond to a ask for for comment. Kamon instructed Rokita that he was contemplating hiding out in the Bahamas soon after Girardi Keese collapsed in December 2020, saying he could get everlasting residency there if he purchased an pricey assets, Guerrero stated. He bought a $2.4 million residence there final thirty day period.

Guerrero stated Kamon’s alleged fraud occurred at the same time Girardi and his firm ended up allegedly misappropriating consumer have confidence in money. One pending lawsuit versus Kamon and other previous Girardi Keese employees alleges that the defunct legislation company stole much more than $100 million from clients, co-counsel and suppliers.

A December 2020 lawsuit more than lacking settlement cash activated Girardi’s fall. He and his company were being pressured into bankruptcy proceedings in January 2021, and he was in the end disbarred by the California Supreme Court docket previously this 12 months. He was put in a conservatorship in 2021, with his legal and monetary affairs overseen by his brother Robert.

Girardi has not responded to the misconduct allegations. In Chicago federal court docket, he has admitted he did not fork out $2 million in settlement resources that were owed to the households of victims of the 2018 Lion Air crash.

Guerrero reported the cost against Kamon is confined to the “independent plan to defraud GK by fraudulently obtaining income from GK’s functioning accounts.”

Study a lot more:

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Judge will never sanction ex-Girardi attorneys around lacking $2 mln

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