Michael Avenatti, the twice-convicted lawyer who represented Stormy Daniels in her legal battles against former US President Donald Trump, offered to plead guilty to “many” felony charges he still faces in California on Sunday.
Michael Avenatti, 51, is already serving a five-year sentence after being found guilty of fraud and identity theft in February for diverting over $300,000 in book proceeds intended for Daniels, and of attempting to extort up to $25 million from Nike Inc. in February 2020.
In the California case, he may face more than 300 years in jail on 36 felony charges, including taking millions of dollars from clients, lying to the Internal Revenue Service and a bankruptcy court, and defrauding a bank.
Michael Avenatti claimed he wants to plead guilty to be accountable; take responsibility; avoid further burdening of his former clients; save the court and the government enormous money; and save his family further embarrassment in a filing with the federal court in Santa Ana, California.
The filing did not specify how many offenses Avenatti wants to plead guilty to or which ones he wanted to plead guilty to.
Michael Avenatti Is Unable To Strike A Plea Agreement As Of Now
It stated that despite his “significant efforts” in the last 30 days, he has been unable to strike a plea agreement with prosecutors and requested a court hearing. Following a mistrial in August, a trial on the first ten accusations is set for July 26. Avenatti is acting as his own attorney.
Michael Avenatti is appealing his conviction and two-and-a-half-year sentence in the Nike case, as well as his four-year term in the Daniels case, which he has filed a notice of appeal for. The five-year term is the result of the sentences partially overlapping.
