A lawyer who worked for now-imprisoned attorney Tom Girardi pleaded guilty to criminal contempt on Thursday for disobeying a court order regarding settlement funds for relatives of those killed in the 2018 crash of Lion Air Flight 610 into the Java Sea.
Keith Griffin admitted, as part of a plea agreement, that he failed to distribute $7.5 million received from Boeing as settlement for the victims’ families. The funds were wired into Girardi Keese’s client trust account in March 2020.
What we have is the latest legal consequence stemming from the mismanagement of client settlement funds at the now-defunct firm of Girardi Keese, which ultimately led to Girardi’s federal conviction.
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Girardi, once a prominent trial attorney known for a lavish lifestyle including “private jets and country clubs,” is currently serving a seven-year federal prison sentence after being convicted of embezzling millions from other clients in 2024. He was disbarred in 2022.
Griffin, 54, of Temple City, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge LaShonda A. Hunt in the Northern District of Illinois, who set sentencing for August 6. He was one of the last two lawyers remaining at the firm as it crumbled.
According to the plea agreement, Griffin knew the firm failed to distribute the full settlement amount to the Indonesian widows and orphans for eight months. He similarly acknowledged withholding information from a Chicago-based attorney assisting with the case, despite repeated requests from the clients for the money. Griffin had confronted Girardi about the payments on multiple occasions.
The Lion Air victims ultimately received their settlement funds through the insurer of another law firm.
Attorney David Lira, Girardi’s son-in-law, previously pleaded guilty to criminal contempt for failing to abide by the settlement payment order and was sentenced to four months in prison and four months of home confinement, along with 200 hours of community service. Christopher Kamon, the firm’s former chief financial officer, pleaded guilty to wire fraud for his role in the embezzlement and received a sentence of more than five years in federal prison, concurrent with a ten-year sentence from a related case in Los Angeles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What prompted Keith Griffin’s guilty plea?
Keith Griffin pleaded guilty to criminal contempt for disobeying a court order to distribute $7.5 million in settlement funds to relatives of those killed in the Lion Air Flight 610 crash.
What was Tom Girardi’s role in the mismanagement of funds?
Evidence showed that Tom Girardi misappropriated millions of dollars in settlement money, leading to the implosion of his law firm and his eventual conviction for embezzlement.
What happened to the Lion Air victims’ settlement funds?
The Lion Air victims eventually received their settlement funds when another law firm’s insurer paid them.
As this case continues to unfold, what further legal ramifications might emerge from the actions of those involved with Girardi Keese?
