Former attorney Michael Avenatti, who gained notoriety for defending adult film star Stormy Daniels in her lawsuits against President Donald Trump, was sentenced to 14 years in prison on Wednesday for embezzling millions of dollars from his clients.
Avenatti was found guilty on multiple counts of wire fraud and bankruptcy fraud in February. He was accused of stealing millions of dollars from clients, including a man in a wheelchair, and then trying to cover it up from the courts.
The judge who presided over Avenatti’s sentencing, Kathleen M. Williams, described his crimes as “not just a lapse in judgment,” but rather “a decades-long pattern of criminal conduct.” She went on to say that his actions had left his victims with “significant and lasting harm.”
Judge Williams also ordered Avenatti to pay more than $24 million in restitution to his victims and to forfeit nearly $2 million in assets in addition to the prison sentence.
In 2018, Avenatti rose to prominence as a prominent critic of President Trump and a possible candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination. His fall from grace is a far cry from that heyday. His political ambitions were overshadowed by his legal troubles and financial misdeeds, which led to his conviction and current lengthy prison sentence.
Domestic violence charges against Avenatti were initially brought against him in November 2018 but were ultimately dropped. But the arrest prompted a probe into his finances, and millions in client funds were found to have been embezzled. Avenatti was found guilty on multiple charges, including fraud and extortion of Nike for millions of dollars.
Avenatti maintained his innocence and portrayed himself as the victim of a political witch hunt even after receiving multiple criminal convictions. Early this week, he tweeted that he was “on the verge of a HUGE victory” and seemed to imply that he had evidence that would exonerate him.
Avenatti’s arguments did not sway the judge, and on Wednesday he was sentenced to 14 years in prison. He plans to challenge his conviction and sentence in court, but he must start serving his time in prison immediately.
The meteoric rise and fall of Avenatti is a cautionary tale about the perils of corruption and greed. Since he was willing to steal from his own customers and commit fraud for financial gain, it is no surprise that he is now serving a lengthy prison sentence.
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