A California attorney has admitted to contempt of court for not following a directive to distribute millions in settlement funds to families of victims of the Lion Air Flight 610 crash. David R. Lira of Pasadena, aged 65, pleaded guilty on Thursday, acknowledging his role in a delay that prevented relatives from receiving their money, despite Boeing's prompt payment into the firm's trust account, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois.
Lira, associated with the personal injury law firm Girardi Keese, which famously settled lawsuits against Boeing in 2020 for their clients, relatives of the deceased passengers, faced the music before U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland in the Northern District of Illinois. Judge Rowland has set the sentencing for Oct. 8, 2025, in light of the recent developments. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois, Lira knew for several months that the firm had not distributed the $7.5 million owed to four clients, yet those demands were met with inaction.
This guilty plea has illuminated another corner of the dark saga revolving around Thomas Girardi, Lira's father-in-law and former head of Girardi Keese, who was convicted last year of embezzling millions from clients. Another firm's insurance eventually covered the misappropriated funds for the Lion Air victims, but not before harrowing delays and legal wrangling. Lira finally resigned from the firm amid the controversies.
The case's prosecution team includes Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Hasten, Emily Vermylen, and Thomas Peabody, working under Andrew S. Boutros, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. "The willful failure to ensure distribution of settlement funds compounded the grief and anguish of the clients who lost loved ones in the Lion Air crash," Boutros stated, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Illinois. Meanwhile, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago FBI office, reiterated the bureau's commitment to holding legal professionals who breach federal laws accountable, regardless of the timeline.
