Michael Avenatti Gets 14-Year Sentence for Stealing Millions From Clients - The New York Times

Politics|Michael Avenatti Gets 14-Year Sentence for Stealing Millions From Clients

Michael Avenatti, the brash lawyer known for representing the pornographic movie histrion Stormy Daniels successful lawsuits against erstwhile President Donald J. Trump, was sentenced connected Monday to 14 years successful situation for stealing millions of dollars from his clients and obstructing the Internal Revenue Service’s efforts to cod taxes from his java business, national prosecutors said.

Mr. Avenatti, who roseate to nationalist prominence successful 2018 portion representing Ms. Daniels, was besides ordered to wage astir $11 cardinal successful restitution to the 4 clients helium stole from, including a idiosyncratic who is paraplegic and has intelligence wellness issues, and to the I.R.S., the Justice Department said successful a quality release.

Prosecutors said Mr. Avenatti obstructed I.R.S. efforts to cod much than $3.2 cardinal successful unpaid payroll taxes, which includes wealth that helium withheld from the paychecks of employees who worked for his java company, Global Baristas US LLC.

His 14-year situation condemnation volition tally consecutively to the five-year situation word helium is presently serving for 2 abstracted convictions successful New York, prosecutors said. He has been successful situation since Feb. 7.

“Michael Avenatti was a corrupt lawyer who claimed helium was warring for the small guy,” Martin Estrada, the U.S. lawyer for the Central District of California, said successful a statement. “In fact, helium lone cared astir his ain selfish interests.”

Mr. Avenatti, 51, represented himself successful the lawsuit and could not instantly beryllium reached for remark connected Monday. Before being sentenced by Judge James V. Selna of U.S. District Court successful Santa Ana, Calif., Mr. Avenatti apologized successful the courtroom to the 4 victims successful the case, The Associated Press reported.

“I americium profoundly remorseful and contrite,” Mr. Avenatti said. “There is nary uncertainty that each of them merit overmuch better, and I anticipation that someday they volition judge my apologies and find it successful their bosom to forgive me.”

The sentencing connected Monday was the latest lawsuit of Mr. Avenatti grappling with ineligible trouble: In 2021, helium was sentenced to two and a fractional years successful prison for trying to extort much than $20 cardinal from the apparel elephantine Nike. In June, Mr. Avenatti was sentenced to 4 years successful situation for defrauding Ms. Daniels, whose ineligible sanction is Stephanie Clifford, of $300,000.

Prosecutors’ cardinal statement successful the national fraud lawsuit appeared to clasp out: that Mr. Avenatti illegally utilized his clients to concern an extravagant lifestyle, 1 that included luxuries similar racecars and a backstage jet.

Prosecutors said that portion the details differed for each of the 4 clients who had their wealth stolen, the “general signifier was the same.” Mr. Avenatti would prevarication astir the existent presumption of the colony statement that helium had negotiated for them, conceal those colony payments and secretly walk the money, prosecutors said. Mr. Avenatti would besides “lull the lawsuit into not complaining oregon investigating further” by giving them tiny advances of the expected “yet-to-be paid funds,” according to prosecutors.

His strategy was described by prosecutors successful the sentencing memorandum arsenic “cruel.” The prosecutors noted that Mr. Avenatti made his clients consciousness “beholden to him erstwhile helium ‘advanced’ oregon ‘loaned’ them funds that were, successful fact, the clients’ ain money.”

“As a effect of his amerciable acts, helium has mislaid his close to signifier instrumentality successful California,” Mr. Estrada said. “And present helium volition service a richly deserved situation sentence.”

It has been a somewhat accelerated downfall for Mr. Avenatti, who, aft joining Ms. Daniels successful her ineligible conflict against Mr. Trump, was viewed by immoderate arsenic the look of Democratic absorption to the erstwhile president.

Ms. Daniels said successful 2018 that she had been paid $130,000 conscionable earlier the 2016 statesmanlike predetermination to support quiescent astir a intersexual brushwood she said she had with Mr. Trump years earlier. Mr. Trump has denied that assertion and said helium ne'er had an matter with Ms. Daniels.

At the time, a fiery Mr. Avenatti condemned Mr. Trump, taking a combative, toe-to-toe approach. He appeared connected late-night speech shows, telling Stephen Colbert connected his programme that helium was “not a mean lawyer” who shied distant from interviews.

His prominence grew to the constituent that helium adjacent considered a statesmanlike run.

But arsenic the lawsuits and critiques against him mounted, Mr. Avenatti’s entreaty dimmed.

Tyler Hatcher, the peculiar cause successful complaint of the I.R.S. Criminal Investigations Los Angeles tract office, said successful a connection that Mr. Avenatti had violated his clients’ trust.

“While today’s sentencing concludes the government’s lawsuit against Mr. Avenatti,” Mr. Hatcher said, “the tremendous harm near down volition beryllium felt by his erstwhile clients for rather immoderate time.”