Michael Avenatti, the infamous celebrity lawyer once basking in the limelight of media attention and high-profile cases, has been dealt a crushing blow by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan. It’s confirmed: his conviction for defrauding Stormy Daniels, the adult film actress who alleged a sexual encounter with Donald Trump, stands firm.
Now, Avenatti isn’t exactly a stranger to controversy. This guy made a career out of positioning himself as a vocal critic of the Trump administration, even flirting with a presidential run. But it seems that his penchant for the dramatic has finally caught up with him.
In a unanimous decision, the court found “overwhelming evidence” of Avenatti’s guilt, dismissing his claims that his conviction was marred by errors from the trial judge. His defense, riddled with appeals for leniency and claims of judicial missteps, was unequivocally rejected by the court. Talk about a reality check.
Here’s the juicy part: the evidence showed that Avenatti diverted funds owed to his client to his own bank account, then sought to prevent his client from learning of the diversion so he could conceal his fraud. This guy not only stole from his client but also lied through his teeth to cover it up. And they say chivalry is dead.
But wait, there’s more. Avenatti repeatedly lied to his client to conceal his fraud, falsely stating that the funds had not yet been disbursed, and falsely stating that he had threatened to sue the publisher for not making payments. It’s like he took a page straight out of the ‘How to Be a Shady Lawyer’ handbook.
Avenatti, who once reveled in defending high-profile cases and making regular television appearances, now faces the harsh reality of his actions. The court found his arguments to be without merit, explaining that the instruction was a “modified Allen charge” that “carries with it a lesser threat of coercing jurors to abandon their conscientious beliefs” than a traditional Allen charge.
In a dramatic turn of events, Avenatti was accused of embezzling nearly $300,000 from Daniels. He was charged with wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for allegedly using a fraudulent document to divert two payments from Daniels’ book publisher into an account he controlled, without her knowledge.
This case is just one in a series of legal challenges for Avenatti, who faced multiple criminal charges on both coasts of the United States, including attempts to extort millions from Nike and other charges of fraud and embezzlement. It’s a tough lesson, but one that’s richly deserved. After all, you reap what you sow.
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