Michael Avenatti Pleads Guilty to Fraud, Obstruction Charges

Michael Avenatti, the twice-convicted lawyer known for taking on then-U.S. President Donald Trump, on Thursday pleaded guilty to five additional criminal charges, including defrauding clients and obstructing the Internal Revenue Service.

U.S. District Judge James Selna in Santa Ana, California, accepted Avenatti's plea to four counts of wire fraud and one obstruction count.

Avenatti has been defending against 36 criminal charges, including lying to a bankruptcy court and defrauding a bank.

The charges he admitted to carry a maximum combined prison term of 83 years, though Avenatti's sentence would likely be much shorter.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Sagel told the judge that prosecutors would discuss internally how to proceed on the remaining 31 charges.

Selna scheduled Avenatti's sentencing for Sept. 19.

Avenatti, 51, who represented porn actress Stormy Daniels in cases against Trump, already faces five years in prison after being convicted in February for embezzling nearly $300,000 from Daniels, and convicted in 2020 for trying to extort up to $25 million from Nike Inc.