US lawyer Michael Avenatti sentenced to 30 months in prison on extortion charges

Once a foe to former president Donald Trump, Michael Avenatti has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for trying to extort millions of dollars from athletic apparel giant Nike. The 50-year-old brash attorney, who also briefly considered a run for president, botched scheme to extort Nike out of up to $25 million, CNBC reported.

“Michael Avenatti used illegal and extortionate threats and betrayed one of his clients for the purpose of seeking to obtain millions of dollars for himself,” Manhattan US Attorney Audrey Strauss said in a statement.

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The US Attorney added, “Not only did Avenatti attempt to weaponize his law license and celebrity to seek to extort payments for himself, he also defrauded his own client. Avenatti will now serve substantial time in prison for his criminal conduct.”

Before his sentencing, Michael Avenatti said, “I alone have destroyed my career, my relationships and my life. And there is no doubt I need to pay,” CNBC quoted.

Federal prosecutors sought a “substantial” prison term for the 50-year-old as the sentence is much lower than nine years which was the bottom of the sentencing range suggested by federal guidelines. However, the sentence exceeded six months by what defence asked for, as they said the California-based lawyer had suffered enough and been “openly mocked” by Trump.

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Manhattan federal court Judge Paul Gardephe said, “He hijacked his client’s claims, and he used him to further his own agenda, which was to extort Nike millions of dollars for himself.”

The Manhattan federal judge also sentenced the 50-year-old to three years of supervised release for the case for which he was convicted at trial last year.

Avenatti also faces separate charges for allegedly stealing a book advance from adult film actor Stormy Daniels, who claimed that she had sex with Trump years before he ran for the White House, and in California for defrauding other clients.