Michael Avenatti, once the media poster for CNN and a potential presidential challenger to President Trump was sentenced to 14 years in prison on Monday for cheating four of his former clients out of millions of dollars and attempting to obstruct the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from collecting payroll taxes from his coffee shop in Seattle.
The frequent guest on CNN was already serving five years in prison for stealing book proceeds from one of his other high-profile clients, and porn actress, Stormy Daniels, and for attempting to extort Nike for $25 million.
Watch his hilarious confrontation with Fox News host Tucker Carlson in 2018 when Carlson pointed out his hypocrisy and destroyed his smugness in this in person segment:
SAVAGE: Avenatti asked @TuckerCarlson how often he watches porn.
Tucker: I’m into I’m into humiliation porn. That’s why I watch you on CNN all the time 🤣 pic.twitter.com/rP7EWes0vm
— Yikes Today (@YikesToday) June 2, 2022
The 14-year sentence handed down Monday will run consecutively to the five years that he is currently serving from previous cases, U.S. District Judge James V. Selna ruled.
Aside from the long sentence, Avenatti was ordered to pay $7 million in restitution to his victims, whom he addressed in court on Monday.
“I am deeply remorseful and contrite,” Avenatti said in court before the sentencing. “There is no doubt that all of them deserve much better, and I hope that someday they will accept my apologies and find it in their heart to forgive me.” He added.
Prosecutors in his case laid out a 36-count indictment on how Avenatti collected a $4 million settlement from Los Angeles County for a man who was unfortunately paralyzed from injuries that were sustained Avenatti illegally used those funds in his coffee business and personal expenses and paid the victim “advances” of less than $2,000 at a time.
For one of his other clients, Avenatti obtained a $3 million settlement in early 2017 and used the funds for a private jet, and lied to the clients that the settlement would be paid out in monthly payments over the course of several years.
Prosecutors further claimed that Avenatti stole from his other clients whom he represented in an intellectual property claim and other business disputes.
For his tax fraud charge, Avenatti failed to pay more than $3 million in payroll taxes from his coffee business and then attempted to block the IRS from collecting the unpaid taxes.
Prosecutor Brett Sagel characterized Avenatti as a serial fraudster.
“He didn’t turn to his criminal actions by desperation, by need, by the inability to do anything else,” Sagel told the court. “Despite the significant advantages that this defendant had — a first-rate education, a thriving legal career — he chose to commit the deplorable acts in this case time and time again.” He added.
On appeal, prosecutors agreed to drop the remaining charges after Avenatti pleaded guilty to five counts earlier this year.
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