OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 10:06 AM PT – Tuesday, December 6, 2022
Anti-Trump lawyer Michael Avenatti has received a lengthy prison term for stealing millions of dollars from his clients.
On Monday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Central California District, Avenatti was sentenced to 14 years in prison for defrauding his clients and committing tax-fraud.
The judge said that Avenatti blocked IRS efforts to collect $3 million in taxes from his coffee business. The judge also ordered that he pay $7.6 million of restitution to his clients.
Avenatti had already pleaded guilty in June to four counts of wire fraud for stealing money from his clients, and one count of obstructing collection of payroll taxes from his Seattle coffee business, which is now defunct.
After already serving a sentence of five years in prison for extortion and fraud convictions, he will now serve the 14-year sentence after he completes his current sentence, which bring his full time in prison up to 19 years.
Avenatti became a Democrat media superstar in 2018 after he represented Stormy Daniels. During his time representing her, he pushed baseless allegations against then-President Donald J. Trump. He went on to becoming one of Trump’s biggest critics. Democrats praised his efforts at the time, as he traveled to Iowa and New Hampshire exploring a run for a presidential nomination.