Attorney Says Erika Jayne Owes The Orphans & Widows

Erika Jayne will have to “cut a check” for the victims of the plane crash. The attorney associated with the embezzlement case spoke out about the latest developments. Meanwhile, Erika claims she’s innocent on Season 11 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. The reality star says she was not aware of her estranged husband Thomas Girardi’s business dealings.

She also was not aware of their financial situation. In fact, Erika had to learn how to manage her own money after she filed for divorce. The couple has been accused of allegedly embezzling money meant for Thomas’ clients. Now, an attorney is revealing why Erika will have to pay up.

Erika Jayne has to “cut a check”

Lawyer Ronald Richards has been investigating the couple’s finances. He’s also looking into whether Erika Jayne received alleged transfers from Thomas Girardi or his law firm, Girardi Keese. He opened up about the case on the August 3 episode of Juicy Scoop. He also questioned Thomas’ Alzheimer’s diagnosis and Erika’s claims that he had a concussion from a car accident.

“The law firm had a lot of jewelry expenditures [and] I can tell you that there’s a strong probability that a lot of the jewelry purchases went to his wife,” Ronald said. “I’m sure she’s just contending they’re gifts. [But] on the legal side, you really can’t have millions of dollars worth of jewelry where it’s client’s settlement money or wrongfully appropriated attorney’s fees or lender fees.”

Erika has been showing off her lavish lifestyle ever since. Last month, she got backlash for wearing a $189,000 ring. The couple was accused of embezzling $2 million from the orphans and widows of the plane crash victims. Ronald noted that he doesn’t care about Erika’s personal belongings, but she will have to “cut a check” if there’s proof that her money came from Thomas’ firm.

Will she pay the victims back?

The point is not how Erika Jayne makes her money now. It’s about how she earned that money throughout her marriage with Thomas Girardi. If he did fund her lavish lifestyle with the money from the firm, she will have to pay back the victims. Ronald says it wouldn’t be fair to them if she took their money.

He also questioned Thomas’ sudden Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Thomas has not taken a medical test. Ronald calls this claim a “desperate protection mechanism.” He also said that the evidence doesn’t add up.

“There was a lot of communications with Mr. Girardi to his family members, including Erika, close to the time he was about to be held in contempt,” Ronald explained. “Those would be inconsistent with someone that has dementia.”

Ronald also noted the holes in Erika’s story about Thomas’ accident. However, it could take some time for the proceedings to prove whether she’s lying about his medical diagnosis. Keep in mind though that this is not a criminal investigation. All Erika has to do is pay up if she’s found guilty, Ronald says.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Season 11 airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.