Christopher Psaila, co-owner of the Hollywood costume label Marco Marco, is suing Erika Jayne, American Express, and former Secret Service agents for $18.2 million, claiming they conspired to have him falsely prosecuted on federal wire fraud and identity theft charges that were later dismissed. The Erika Jayne and Christopher Psaila lawsuit, filed August 29, 2023, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, is now moving toward trial after Jayne lost a two-year appeal in October 2025.1Reality Blurb. RHOBH’s Erika Jayne Loses SLAPP Appeal in $18 Million Lawsuit From Designer
What Psaila Alleges Happened
The complaint’s central claim is that Tom Girardi, Jayne’s then-husband and a prominent personal injury attorney, bribed Robert Savage, then head of the Secret Service’s Los Angeles office, to open a federal criminal case against Psaila instead of letting the dispute proceed as an ordinary credit card matter. Girardi and Savage were personal friends, according to the filing, and Girardi had earlier represented Savage in a civil suit against Volkswagen over defective minivan brakes, paying Savage $7,500 to cover his damages in that case.2Reuters. Lawsuit Says Erika Jayne, Tom Girardi Conspired With Secret Service Agents A separate report described the alleged promise as $100,000 “at the time the Secret Service commenced the investigation.”3New York Post. Secret Service Agent Who Once Helped Hunter Biden Bribed by Real Housewife
After the alleged bribe, the complaint states, agents Kenneth Henderson and Steve Scarince were assigned to investigate Psaila, and Jayne wore a hidden recorder during a December 14, 2016 meeting with him to review invoices.4NBC News. Real Housewives Star Erika Jayne Sued by Former Costume Designer for $18M Psaila argues the Secret Service was “weaponized” to resolve what should have been a billing dispute.
On the American Express side, the suit alleges that fraud investigator Peter Grimm accepted Jayne’s claims of unauthorized charges without a fair investigation, refunded Jayne and Girardi $787,117.88, and reported to the Secret Service that Jayne was a fraud victim. Psaila notes that American Express only ever charged back his merchant account once, for $4,500, and that he still holds merchant privileges with the company.5Exhibitalist. Psaila v. Erika Girardi Complaint
Jayne’s assistants, Laia Ribatallada and Michael Minden, are accused of placing legitimate orders using Jayne’s American Express card and then joining her in falsely claiming the charges were unauthorized.6PR Newswire. Hollywood Costume Merchant Sues Erika Jayne Girardi, American Express, Secret Service Special Agents and Others
Who Is Being Sued
The California case, Christopher Psaila v. Erika Girardi (No. 2:23-cv-07120), is before Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald.7CourtListener. Christopher Psaila v. Erika Girardi Defendants include Jayne, her assistants Ribatallada and Minden, American Express and its investigator Peter Grimm, and former Secret Service agents Robert Savage, Kenneth Henderson, and Steve Scarince.8Page Six. Erika Jayne Accused of Conspiring With Secret Service, American Express to Extort Money From Designer The claims are malicious prosecution and conspiracy. Tom Girardi himself is not a defendant.4NBC News. Real Housewives Star Erika Jayne Sued by Former Costume Designer for $18M
Alongside the $18.2 million civil suit, Psaila filed a separate administrative claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act against the Secret Service, seeking $75 million in that proceeding.9WWD. Erika Jayne Marco Marco Lawsuit
The Criminal Case Behind the Suit
Jayne was a Marco Marco client, and her assistants placed costume orders using an American Express card tied to Girardi’s account.9WWD. Erika Jayne Marco Marco Lawsuit In April 2017, federal prosecutors in the Central District of California charged Psaila with nine counts including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, alleging he ran more than $800,000 in unauthorized charges to Jayne’s account. Psaila maintained the charges dated back to 2014 and were all authorized costume orders.8Page Six. Erika Jayne Accused of Conspiring With Secret Service, American Express to Extort Money From Designer
The case never reached trial. In September 2021, federal prosecutors moved to dismiss all charges.10Los Angeles Times. Erika Girardi, Secret Service and American Express Engaged in Corrupt Conspiracy, New Lawsuit Claims Later reporting linked the dismissal to “law enforcement evidence preservation issues.”2Reuters. Lawsuit Says Erika Jayne, Tom Girardi Conspired With Secret Service Agents
How the Defendants Responded
Jayne’s attorney, Evan C. Borges, called the allegations “fantasy” and said the decision to charge Psaila was made by independent federal prosecutors, not by Jayne or anyone acting on her behalf.8Page Six. Erika Jayne Accused of Conspiring With Secret Service, American Express to Extort Money From Designer Robert Savage told reporters he was “restricted by a non-disclosure” regarding casework, acknowledged introducing Jayne to one of his agents, but said he was not personally involved in the Psaila investigation.2Reuters. Lawsuit Says Erika Jayne, Tom Girardi Conspired With Secret Service Agents An American Express spokesperson said the company did not initiate the criminal investigation and simply followed “regular processes and procedures” in response to law enforcement inquiries.
Where the Case Stands
Two big rulings have shaped the current lineup. Judge Fitzgerald granted a motion dismissing Savage, Henderson, and Scarince on qualified immunity, holding that Psaila “has no constitutional right to avoid an investigation.”11Bloomberg Law. Ex-LA Secret Service Head Is Out of Erika Girardi Designer Suit The individual agents are out of the civil case, though the Federal Tort Claims Act administrative claim against the Secret Service as an agency is a separate proceeding.
Jayne, Ribatallada, and Minden then moved to strike the complaint under California’s anti-SLAPP statute, which allows early dismissal of suits targeting constitutionally protected speech or petitioning activity. Fitzgerald denied the motion. Jayne appealed to the Ninth Circuit, which stalled the case for roughly two years. In October 2025, the Ninth Circuit ruled that the denial of a SLAPP motion is “no longer appealable before trial,” ending the interlocutory appeal and returning the case to the district court.1Reality Blurb. RHOBH’s Erika Jayne Loses SLAPP Appeal in $18 Million Lawsuit From Designer
Claims against Jayne, her assistants, American Express, and Peter Grimm remain active and are moving toward trial.
The Florida Lawsuit Against James Wilkes
In November 2025, Psaila and his business partner Marco Morante, together with their company Marcosquared LLC, filed a second federal lawsuit in the Middle District of Florida against James L. Wilkes II, a Florida attorney the complaint describes as a friend and legal adviser to Jayne and Girardi.12Bloomberg Law. Erika Jayne’s Lawyer Used COVID Aid on Bravo Star, Suit Says The suit alleged Wilkes orchestrated strategies to delay the original case, funded Jayne’s defense with improperly obtained Paycheck Protection Program loans totaling roughly $4.4 million, and directed attorneys to shield Jayne from depositions.13AOL. Exclusive: Erika Jayne Embezzlement Nightmare
On November 28, 2025, U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell dismissed the complaint without prejudice, calling it a “shotgun pleading” filled with “conclusory, vague, and immaterial” allegations about the Girardis’ personal lives. The court found federal jurisdiction had not been established and gave the plaintiffs 21 days to file an amended complaint. Wilkes denied doing “anything improper.”14Newsweek. Judge in Erika Jayne Lawyer Case Calls Out Sensational Accusations Whether an amended complaint was filed is unclear from available records.
How Tom Girardi’s Conviction Fits In
Girardi’s own downfall runs alongside these events. The State Bar of California disbarred him in July 2022. In August 2024, a federal jury convicted him of four counts of wire fraud for embezzling tens of millions of dollars in client settlement funds over a decade at his firm, Girardi Keese. Trial evidence showed he spent an estimated $25 million of stolen client money on Jayne’s entertainment career.15U.S. Department of Justice. Disbarred Personal Injury Lawyer Tom Girardi Found Guilty of Defrauding Clients Out of Tens of Millions of Dollars On June 3, 2025, he was sentenced to seven years and three months in federal prison and ordered to pay $2.3 million in restitution; the court found him competent to be sentenced despite an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.16ABC7 New York. Ex-Celebrity Attorney Tom Girardi Gets 7 Years in Prison for Stealing Millions From Clients
Girardi’s conviction does not prove Psaila’s bribery allegation, but it places Girardi in the middle of wide-ranging financial misconduct during the same period when he allegedly arranged for Savage to investigate Psaila.