Ex-Girardi CFO to be Denied Bond Package in California Fraud Row

Defense counsel for former Girardi Keese chief financial officer Christopher Kamon failed Monday to undercut the government’s position that Kamon is a flight risk and hasn’t offered a sufficient bond package to skirt pre-trial detention, a federal judge in California ruled.

Attorneys for Kamon, who was walked into the Los Angeles courtroom with his hands cuffed in front of him, sought approval of a bond package that included a residence in the Bahamas as well as equity from a home belonging to his aunt and uncle. The hearing came less than two weeks after a federal magistrate judge kicked the issue of detention to a district court judge.

Just after that second California appearance, prosecutors filed a brief arguing that Kamon is a flight risk who should be denied bail in the criminal case charging him with a $10 million scheme to steal from the now-defunct law firm.

Judge Dale S. Fischer of the US District Court for the Central District of California heard arguments from both sides at the hearing on Monday, pushing back against defense counsel’s suggestion that Kamon didn’t flee to the Bahamas in part because extradition from that country would be “easy” due to a treaty.

“Very easy isn’t the correct terminology,” Fischer said.

The judge said that she was not convinced that the bond package was sufficient to guarantee Kamon would appear for his trial, and noted that his decision to liquidate and transfer his funds from the U.S. was “extremely suspicious.”

Fischer said she would enter a written ruling soon, but added that additional hearings would be required to determine if some of the proffered sureties would be allowed, due to the accusation of tainted funds.

Kamon is represented by Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP.

The case is USA v. Kamon, C.D. Cal., No. 2:22-mj-04385, detention hearing 1/9/23.