Michael Avenatti

Michael Avenatti
Avenatti in 2018
Born
Michael John Avenatti

(1971-02-16) February 16, 1971 (age 53)
Sacramento, California, U.S.
EducationSaint Louis University
University of Pennsylvania (BA)
George Washington University (JD)
Political partyDemocratic[1]
Spouses
Christine Carlin
​
(divorced)​
Lisa Storie
​
​
(m. 2011; div. 2018)​
Children3
Criminal information
StatusIncarcerated at Federal Correctional Institution, Terminal Island[2]
Conviction(s)
Criminal penalty19 years in prison[a]

Michael John Avenatti (born February 16, 1971) is an American former attorney currently incarcerated in federal prison for felony fraud and extortion. He is best known for his legal representation of adult film actress Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against then U.S. President Donald Trump, and his multiple convictions for attempting to extort sports apparel company Nike and defrauding and embezzling settlement money from a series of other clients.[3][4][5] In the late 2010s, Avenatti appeared extensively on television and in print as a legal and political commentator, and as a representative for prominent clients.[6][7]

In March 2019, Avenatti was indicted in California and New York on various criminal counts including extortion, tax evasion, fraud, and embezzlement. On February 14, 2020, Avenatti was convicted of extorting Nike in a New York court,[8][9] and on July 8, 2021, he was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Subsequently, 30 months were added consecutive to the existing term (with the remainder of this 4-year sentence concurrent with the earlier one) for a financial crime against Stormy Daniels.[10] He has been imprisoned since February 7, 2022.[11] On December 5, 2022, he was sentenced to an additional 14 years for stealing millions from clients, bringing his total sentence to 19 years without the possibility of parole.[12][13][14] The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the latter sentence on October 23, 2024 and ordered him resentenced.[15]

  1. ^ Khorri Atkinson. "Timeline: The rise and fall of Michael Avenatti". Archived from the original on December 29, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  2. ^ https://www.bop.gov/mobile/find_inmate/byname.jsp#inmate_results
  3. ^ Mangan, Dan (February 14, 2020). "Disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti found guilty in Nike extortion trial". CNBC. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  4. ^ Cooper, Aaron; Simon, Darran (February 14, 2020). "Michael Avenatti has been found guilty on all counts in Nike extortion trial". CNN. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  5. ^ Dienst, Jonathan (February 14, 2020). "Michael Avenatti Guilty on All Counts in Nike Extortion Trial". NBC New York. Archived from the original on February 3, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  6. ^ Concha, Joe (May 11, 2018). "Michael Avenatti has appeared on CNN and MSNBC 108 times since March 7, says Free Beacon". The Hill. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  7. ^ Wemple, Erik. "Michael Avenatti once dominated cable news. Now he's watching it". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 13, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  8. ^ "Ex-CNN darling Michael Avenatti convicted of trying to extort Nike". Fox News. February 14, 2020. Archived from the original on January 29, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  9. ^ Stempel, Jonathan (February 14, 2020). "Celebrity lawyer Michael Avenatti is found guilty in Nike extortion case". Reuters. Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  10. ^ O'Brien, Rebecca Davis; Ramey, Corinne (July 8, 2021). "Michael Avenatti Sentenced to 2-1/2 Years for Trying to Extort Nike". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on February 12, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
  11. ^ "Central District of California | Lawyer Michael Avenatti Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing Millions of Dollars from Clients and Tax Fraud | United States Department of Justice". December 5, 2022.
  12. ^ Medina, Eduardo (December 6, 2022). "Michael Avenatti Gets 14-Year Sentence for Stealing Millions from Clients". The New York Times.
  13. ^ "Disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti found guilty". ABC News ABC News. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved February 5, 2022.
  14. ^ "Michael Avenatti sentenced to 4 years in prison for defrauding Stormy Daniels". cnbc.com. June 2, 2022. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  15. ^ Press, Associated (October 23, 2024). "Federal appeals panel says suspended lawyer Michael Avenatti should be resentenced | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved October 23, 2024.


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