Fox News reports that disgraced attorney Michael Avenatti was sentenced to four years in prison Thursday for cheating his former client, porn star Stormy Daniels, out of $300,000.
Avenatti was convicted of aggravated identity fraud and wire fraud in New York federal court earlier this year. He faced up to two years in prison for the former, and 20 for the latter. Of the four years, 30 months will be served concurrently with the 2 1/2-year sentence he was previously given in a separate case for trying to extort Nike out of $25 million.
At the sentencing, Avenatti acknowledged the “series of mistakes” and “poor judgment” he exercised. “I will forever be branded ‘disgraced lawyer’ and worse,” he said.
Ahead of sentencing, Avenatti had sent a letter apologizing to Daniels, but Judge Furman said this gesture was “too little, too late,” and denied Avenatti’s request to be sentenced remotely. “In the Court’s view, the gravity and significance of the sentencing proceeding would be ill served by a remote proceeding,” Furman wrote.
Daniels reveled in the ruling, taunting Avenatti on Twitter: “”See ya there, bitch!… except I’m flying in first class. Buwahaha.”