Stormy’s Revenge: Jury Convicts Michael Avenatti of Fraud
California litigator Michael Avenatti, who in 2018 earned stardom as President Donald Trump’s legal foil, was convicted on Friday of stealing funds from adult film actress Stormy Daniels, the client who made him famous.
A Manhattan federal jury found Avenatti guilty of single counts of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft related to his pocketing nearly $300,000 of Daniels’ advance for her memoir, Full Disclosure. He now faces up to 22 years in prison.
Jurors began deliberating Wednesday afternoon and announced they had a verdict just before 3 p.m. on Friday. The decision arrived hours after the jury sent a note to the judge saying one of the 12 panelists was “refusing to look at evidence” and “acting on a feeling.”
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