Prosecutors ask judge for 'substantial sentence' for Avenatti
By Celine Castronuovo - 06/17/21 08:09 AM EDT
Prosecutors in the case against Michael Avenatti, the former attorney for adult-film star Stormy Daniels, are requesting that he receive a “very substantial” prison sentence after being convicted of attempting to extort millions of dollars from Nike.
The request came in a Wednesday submission in Manhattan federal court, according to The Associated Press, with prosecutors noting that Probation Office officials had recommended an eight-year prison term for Avenatti.
The California attorney, who rose to fame for representing Daniels in her case against former President Trump, was found guilty in February 2020 of attempting to extort up to $25 million from Nike so the attorney would not speak out on allegations of corruption surrounding the athletics apparel company.
“The defendant, a prominent attorney and media personality with a large public following, betrayed his client and 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,” prosecutors wrote in their Wednesday court request, according to the AP.
“This was an egregious abuse of trust, and it warrants real and serious punishment,” they added.
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https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/558888-prosecutors-ask-judge-for-substantial-sentence-for-avenatti