Michael Avenatti Will Spend 2.5 Years In The Slammer For Nike Extortion Case
Disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti has been sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for his role in extorting Nike.
As we reported, Avenatti tried to extort $15 million from Nike, or else he threatened to tarnish the brand’s name and reputation in the media.
“Michael Avenatti used illegal and extortionate threats and betrayed one of his clients for the purpose of seeking to obtain millions of dollars for himself,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said in upon sentencing. “Not only did Avenatti attempt to weaponize his law license and celebrity to seek to extort payments for himself, he also defrauded his own client. Avenatti will now serve substantial time in prison for his criminal conduct.”
Prosecutors added that Avenatti deserved to serve time in jail after he “sought to enrich himself by weaponizing his public profile in an attempt to extort a publicly-traded company out of tens of millions of dollars.”
“While the defendant may have tried to hide behind legal terms and a suit and tie, the jury clearly saw the defendant’s scheme for what it was — an old-fashioned shakedown,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District Geoffrey Berman.
LOS ANGELES, CA – JANUARY 11: Michael Avenatti is seen on January 11, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by TM/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)
