Evergreen Reporter

The former head of the accounting department at the now-closed Los Angeles law firm Girardi Keese, Christopher Kazuo Kamon, has been sentenced to 121 months in federal prison. Kamon, 51, was found guilty of embezzling significant sums from the firm and its clients. The decision was rendered by United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton, who also ordered Kamon to pay $8,903,324 in restitution.

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Staton commented on Kamon's involvement in defrauding clients of Girardi Keese, referring to his role in creating a "web of deceit and manipulation." Kamon had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in October 2024.

United States Attorney Bill Essayli stated, "This defendant played a key role in a long-running scheme led by Tom Girardi. For nearly 20 years, Kamon enabled Girardi’s scheme to defraud vulnerable clients of the law firm. Ironically, it was Kamon’s own lies that accelerated the law firm’s demise."

Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher from the IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office, highlighted Kamon's actions saying, "Mr. Kamon was a willful participant in defrauding Girardi Keese clients out of their rightful lawsuit awards." Amir Ehsaei, Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, added, "Mr. Kamon ran the law firm’s bank account like a Ponzi scheme and profited handsomely for many years."

Kamon's involvement with Girardi Keese, a plaintiffs’ personal injury law firm, lasted from 2004 until December 2020. During this period, alongside Thomas Vincent Girardi, he played a role in misappropriating client settlement funds. This embezzlement continued to pay both personal and law firm-related expenses.

One case cited involved a client whose settlement was misrepresented and mishandled. Girardi, aided by Kamon, misappropriated settlement funds from a client involved in a severe burns lawsuit from a gas pipeline explosion in San Bruno, California. They concealed their actions by providing misleading statements about the handling of the settlement funds.

Kamon also admitted to running a separate scheme where he embezzled funds by inventing fake vendors and issuing fraudulent invoices for his gain, including home renovations. Kamon's collaboration with women not affiliated with the firm was also under scrutiny for substantial linkages to Girardi Keese’s finances.

Beyond his sentence in Los Angeles, Kamon, Girardi, and David R. Lira, Girardi’s son-in-law, face additional federal charges in a separate case in Chicago with trial proceedings scheduled soon. The IRS and FBI were instrumental in investigating these matters. Assistant United States Attorneys Scott Paetty and Tara Vavere are leading the prosecution and asset recovery efforts.