A judge has thrown the book at Michael Avenatti and sentenced the disgraced Democrat lawyer to 14 years in prison in his last criminal case.
U.S. District Judge James V. Selna dropped the hammer on Aveannti after he was convicted of years-long financial fraud that victimized clients, his law firm, and the IRS.
Avenatti is already serving time for other crimes he committed but this was the big one.
Selna sentenced the 2020 Democrat presidential candidate to 14 years in prison today.
Meghann Cuniff live tweeted Avenatti’s sentencing.
She reported: “ This is big: Judge Selna says Avenatti’s 168-month sentence (14 years) is to run consecutive with his New York sentences.
“A major, major win for prosecutors.
“Judge Selna sentences Avenatti to prison ‘for a term of 168 months.’
“That’s for the four wire fraud counts, and it includes 36 months for the IRS obstruction charge.
“This is pretty close to what @USAO_LosAngeles prosecutors wanted.”
Prosecutor Brett Sagel told the court that Avenatti’s actions were magnified by the fact that “he didn’t need to do what he did in this case.”
He didn’t commit his crimes out of financial desperation, Sagel noted.
“Despite the significant advantage that the defendant has despite the significant advantages that his defendant has – a first-rate education, a thriving legal career – he chose to commit the deplorable acts in this case, time and time again and over years,” he said.
And Avenatti’s crimes were “not a one-time thing.”
“He stole from his clients so he could live an extravagant lifestyle,” Sagel said.
“The defendant has always been and always will be out for himself,” Sagel says of Avenatti.
Judge Selna sentences Avenatti to prison “for a term of 168 months.”
That’s for the four wire fraud counts, and it includes 36 months for the IRS obstruction charge. This is pretty close to what @USAO_LosAngeles prosecutors wanted.
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) December 5, 2022
Sagel described Avenatti as being always “confident he can bamboozle his way out of anything.”
Avenatti believes that always “he’s the smartest guy in the room,” the prosecutor added.
“He wreaked havoc on so many lives,” Sagel says of Avenatti.
“He’s just a simple fraudster,” he concluded in his summarization of Avenatti.
“He doesn’t fight for anyone but himself.
“His lack of integrity when exposed was shocking and disturbing.”
Sagel also explained the downward departure from the guidelines as being driven by the nature of the crime, totality of circumstances etc. But something tells me @USAO_LosAngeles isn’t going to be too upset of Judge Selna goes ABOVE 210 months.
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) December 5, 2022
This is big: Judge Selna says Avenatti’s 168-month sentence (14 years) is to run consecutive with his New York sentences. A major, major win for prosecutors.
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) December 5, 2022
