Jun 2, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Michael Avenatti sentenced to 4 years for defrauding Stormy Daniels

Ivana Saric

Attorney Michael Avenatti was sentenced to four years in prison on Thursday for stealing from his former client, adult film actress Stormy Daniels, AP reported.

Driving the news: Avenatti was convicted in February on charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for stealing nearly $300,000 from Daniels.

State of play: Part of the new prison sentence will be served alongside the jail sentence Avenatti is currently already serving stemming from his case against Nike. Avenatti faces five years in prison total, Reuters reported.

District Judge Jesse Furman described Avenatti's conduct as "so brazen and egregious," CNN reported.
Furman added that Avenatti "took advantage of a vulnerable victim given her unorthodox career and somewhat unorthodox beliefs," per CNN.

The big picture: Avenatti rose to prominence as the lawyer representing Daniels in her lawsuit against former President Trump.

He was sentenced last year to two-and-a-half years in prison for trying to extort Nike out of more than $20 million.

Go deeper: The rise and fall of Michael Avenatti

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Michael Avenatti sentenced to 4 years for defrauding Stormy Daniels

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