California jury finds ex-lawyer Tom Girardi guilty in fraud case

FILE PHOTO: The Stow family attorney Thomas Girardi delivers his closing argument in a civil trial in a lawsuit brought by his client San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow against former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt in Los Angeles, June 26, 2014. REUTERS/Irfan Khan/Pool/File Photo

(Reuters) - A Los Angeles federal jury on Tuesday found disbarred California attorney Tom Girardi guilty of four counts of wire fraud after U.S. prosecutors accused him of stealing $15 million in settlement funds from clients, prosecutors said.

Girardi, 85, whose pollution case against a California utility inspired the Oscar-winning film "Erin Brockovich," was accused of deceiving his clients and pilfering from settlement funds they had obtained in personal injury cases.