Michael Avenatti Handed 14-Year Prison Sentence in Fraud Case
Lawyer Michael Avenatti has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for stealing money from his clients. According to The Associated Press , Avenatti was sentenced in California and fined $10 million by U.S. District Judge…
Lawyer Michael Avenatti has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for stealing money from his clients.
According to The Associated Press, Avenatti was sentenced in California and fined $10 million by U.S. District Judge James V. Selna.
The judge reportedly said Avenatti would serve his sentence in California after completing a five-year term for separate convictions in New York.
“Michael Avenatti was a corrupt lawyer who claimed he was fighting for the little guy. In fact, he only cared about his own selfish interests,” US Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement, as CNN reported.
The statement continues, “He stole millions of dollars from his clients – all to finance his extravagant lifestyle that included a private jet and race cars. As a result of his illegal acts, he has lost his right to practice law in California, and now he will serve a richly deserved prison sentence.”
Dean Steward, an attorney for Avenatti, claimed in a statement to CNN that the sentencing “was overly harsh and uncalled for,” saying his client described it as “off the charts.”
He added, “When compared with similar high-profile cases, the unfairness is glaring.”
The Associated Press noted, prosecutors said in one instance, Avenatti took a $2.75 million settlement payment for a client and used a lot of it to purchase a private plane.