After confessing to defrauding four of his clients out of millions of dollars, imprisoned attorney Michael Avenatti was given a 14-year jail sentence and told to pay $7 million in restitution on Monday in Southern California.
U.S. District Judge James V. Selna stated during a hearing in Santa Ana, California, that the sentence should run concurrently with the five-year prison term he is now serving for other charges in New York.
Without reaching a plea agreement with federal prosecutors, Avenatti pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud and a tax-related charge earlier this year. He claimed that he did so because he wanted to be responsible and protect his family from further embarrassment. He was charged with bargaining and obtaining settlement payments on behalf of his clients while diverting the funds into accounts under his control.
Three of the case’s four victims were present in the courtroom when Avenatti apologized before the sentence was handed down.
“I am deeply remorseful and contrite,” Avenatti said. “There is no doubt that all of them deserve much better, and I hope that someday they will accept my apologies and find it in their heart to forgive me.”
Avenatti’s criminal behaviour “arose from calculated choices and egregious violations of the trust” his clients placed in him, the prosecutor told the court.
“He didn’t turn to his criminal actions by desperation, by need, by the inability to do anything else,” said Sagel. “Despite the significant advantages that this defendant had — a first-rate education, a thriving legal career — he chose to commit the deplorable acts in this case time and time again.”
The 36-count indictment’s remaining accusations against Avenatti were all withdrawn by the prosecution.
Avenatti is presently incarcerated in Southern California for two different crimes. He was found guilty of stealing Stormy Daniels’ book royalties, the porn star who made him famous by hiring him to defend her in court disputes with then-President Donald Trump, and of attempting to extort Nike by demanding up to $25 million in cash.
Avenatti became one of Trump’s main foes, criticizing him on cable news programs and Twitter. He represented Daniels in her lawsuit against Trump for violating a confidentiality agreement regarding an alleged affair.
Prosecutors in California claimed that Avenatti received $4 million from Los Angeles County on behalf of a man who attempted suicide and sustained injuries while in custody. Avenatti denied receiving the settlement and instead paid the man smaller sums, ranging from $1,000 to $1,900, which he claimed were advances on the larger settlement. Prosecutors claim that in another case, Avenatti received a $2.75 million settlement payout for a client and spent a large portion of the money on a private jet.
Avenatti is already serving five years in prison, but the prosecution has asked for an extra 17.5 years.
Avenatti, who spoke for himself throughout the hearings, requested a sentence of no more than six years to run concurrently with the time he is now serving.
