Posted on 05/27/2019 4:15:23 PM PDT by jazusamo
Embattled attorney Michael Avenatti will have a busy day in Manhattan federal court Tuesday -- but as a defendant, not as counsel.
Avenatti, 49, is scheduled to be arraigned on charges that he tried to extort up to $25 million from athletic apparel giant Nike by threatening to expose claims that the shoemaker paid off high school basketball players to steer them to Nike-sponsored colleges. He also is scheduled to be arraigned on charges that he stole nearly $300,000 from adult film actress Stormy Daniels, the client who rocketed him to national prominence.
In the Nike case, Avenatti is charged with one count of extortion, one count of sending interstate communications with intent to extort and two counts of conspiracy. In the Stormy Daniels case, he is charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted on all counts, Avenatti could face a total of 69 years in prison.
Avenatti repeatedly has denied any wrongdoing and is expected to plead not guilty to all charges. He initially was arrested on March 25 at a New York law firm where he had scheduled a meeting with Nike executives.
Six days earlier, prosecutors said, Avenatti and a co-conspirator identified by several news outlets as celebrity attorney Mark Geragos met with attorneys for Nike on March 19 and "threatened to release damaging information" if the company did not agree to make multi-million dollar payments to them, as well as an additional $1.5 million payment to a California youth basketball coach Avenatti claimed to represent.
According to the government, Avenatti threatened to hold a news conference on the eve of Nike's quarterly earnings call and the start of the NCAA tournament to announce allegations of misconduct by Nike employees, at one point telling Nike's lawyers he would...
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Based on what I have read regarding the charges he is screwed. Typical pyramid scheme and when you defraud your clients and purchase a Ferrari there is not much jury appeal.
He might slide on a few counts at trial (narcissistic sociopaths usually go to trial - especially older ones), but when they drop that many hammers it’s gonna hurt no matter what.
What a loser. “By threatening to expose claims,” Avenatti is simply using the Jesse Jackson playbook.
Be a shame if the inmates start using his face like Stormy Daniels.
Sorry for the late reply. CPL= Creepy Porn lawyer.
Oh yeah, duh, guess I had a brain fart crossways. [blush]
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