California lawyer sentenced to 30 months in jail for trying to extort $25m from Nike by threatening the company with bad publicity
Attorney Michael Avenatti exits, following his sentencing for an extortion scheme against Nike Inc., at the United States Courthouse in the Manhattan borough of New York City on July 8 2021. Picture: REUTERS/BRENDAN MCDERMID
“Mr Avenatti’s conduct was outrageous,” the judge said before announcing the sentence. He became “drunk on the power of his platform, or what he believed the power of his platform to be,” Gardephe said. The judge ordered Avenatti to surrender to prison authorities by September 15. He is due to go on trial again this month in California where he is accused of defrauding clients and ripping off banks. And early next year a third trial is scheduled in Manhattan on federal charges alleging he stole Daniels’s book advance. He has denied wrongdoing in all the cases.
The Probation Office had calculated that Avenatti should spend 11 to 14 years in prison under current guidelines. Avenatti had asked in a court filing for no more than six months. The jury did not buy Avenatti’s defence that he had merely engaged in tough negotiations on behalf of his client, who wanted him to “take on” Nike.Defense lawyer Danya Perry spoke to the court before the sentence was handed down, describing Avenatti as a devoted father of three who was known for working hard for his clients before his career imploded.
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