Disgraced Attorney Michael Avenatti Set To Admit To Stealing Millions From Clients, Faces Federal Prison Time
Jun. 13 2022, Published 4:36 p.m. ET
Disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti announced he is ready to plead guilty to criminal charges and face a judge for his sentencing,
According to court records obtained by RadarOnline.com Online, Avenatti asked a federal judge in California for a hearing to change his plea and request sentencing. The documents state that he plans to plead guilty to multiple charges, though it does not specify which ones.
Without knowing which charges he plans to admit to, its unclear how long Avenatti faces spending in prison.
Avenatti plans to plead “open,” which means he plans to plea without the promises of a set punishment.
While Avenatti had a court hearing scheduled for later this week, he has requested a telephone hearing to change his pleas.
Avenatti and his rep say they have tried to make a deal with federal prosecutors, including ramped up efforts in the last 30 days, they have yet to reach an agreement, the documents state.
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"Mr. Avenatti wishes to plea in order to be accountable accept responsibility; avoid his former clients being further burdened; save the Court and the government significant resources; and save his family further embarrassment,” court paperwork read.
Prosecutors claimed that between 2015 and 2019, Avenatti stole more than $10 million from clients.
Recently, Avenatti has learned his prison sentence in other case. He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for threats made against Nike. He was also sentenced to four years in prison for taking money from Stormy Daniels.
Daniels, a former porn star and mistress to ex-President Donald Trump, and Avenatti gained national attention early in the Trump campaign for detailing their escapades. But the friendship between Daniels and Avenatti soured, and he diverted $300,000 worth of payments to himself.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, had claimed she received $130,000 from Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, for keeping quiet about sexual encounters she had with Trump ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Trump has denied those claims. According to Reuters, Avenatti freed Daniels from her nondisclosure agreement with Trump.