LOS ANGELES — The former chief financial officer of Tom Girardi's now-shuttered law firm will remain in custody after a federal judge in Los Angeles ruled Monday that his steps to liquidate his assets, stash money overseas and purchase a home in the Bahamas increased his risk of fleeing from law enforcement.
The onetime CFO, Christopher Kamon, is accused of carrying out a $10 million "side fraud" at Girardi Keese, a long-running scheme that prosecutors say included issuing checks from the law firm to contractors and other similar outfits, then accepting cash kickbacks. Through that and other alleged schemes, prosecutors say, Kamon amassed a fortune and several real estate holdings.
Kamon and others in the firm had been under scrutiny since 2020, when Girardi Keese collapsed amid accusations that millions were stolen from clients. In the years since, he has repeatedly invoked his right against self-incrimination when pressed to provide information in court proceedings.
