US attorney Michael Avenatti found guilty of stealing from client
Saturday, February 5, 2022
Yesterday, former lawyer Michael Avenatti was convicted by a jury for wire fraud and identity theft through which he wrongfully enriched himself by hundreds of thousands of dollars. The money belonged to Stormy Daniels, an adult entertainer who was publishing a book in 2018 about her alleged affair with Donald Trump, the then-president of the United States.
According to testimony, Avenatti convinced Daniels' agent to forward payments from her book publisher to an account under his control, without informing her.
Avenatti was convicted in federal court in Manhattan, New York, New York where he represented himself. Sentencing has been scheduled for May 24. Avenatti was previously convicted of attempting to extort millions from sports brand Nike in 2020.
Related news[edit]
- "California lawyer Michael Avenatti convicted of attempted extortion" — Wikinews, February 15, 2020
Sources[edit]
- Lauren del Valle and Kara Scannell. "Michael Avenatti convicted of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for stealing from Stormy Daniels" — CNN, February 4, 2022
- David K. Li and Adam Reiss. "Attorney Michael Avenatti found guilty of stealing from Stormy Daniels" — NBC News, February 4, 2022