Celebrity lawyer Michael Avenatti was indicted Wednesday in an alleged extortion scheme against clothing manufacturing giant Nike; with prosecutors saying he attempted to gain millions while threatening to publicly “embarrass” the corporation.
“Controversial lawyer Michael Avenatti was indicted on charges of trying to extort athletic shoe giant Nike out of tens of millions of dollars by threatening to go public with embarrassing information about the company, according to federal court documents unsealed in New York City on Wednesday,” reports CNBC.
“The indictment, which Avenatti had said Tuesday was imminent, was expected, as he had already been arrested on a criminal complaint that contained similar allegations of a brazen shakedown effort of Nike by hyper-aggressive attorney in March,” adds the article.
#BREAKING: Michael Avenatti hit with new indictment in alleged extortion of Nike https://t.co/Flf0qRKYTT pic.twitter.com/UBqikKAnlB
— The Hill (@thehill) May 22, 2019
Avenatti allegedly told Nike executives “I’ll take ten billion dollars off your client’s market cap” if they failed to secure the funds.
“The charges in this indictment stem from an extortion scheme in which Michael Avenatti, the defendant… Demanded tens of millions of dollars in payments from Nike, Inc., a multinational public corporation engaged in the marketing and sale of athletic apparel,” states the official court filing.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
AVENATTI UPDATE: Michael Avenatti Speaks with Reporters after Arrest in LA
Celebrity lawyer Michael Avenatti spoke with reporters Wednesday night after his sudden arrest on charges of ‘Felony Domestic Violence,’ saying he would “never strike a woman” and will be “fully exonerated” in time.
“I am not going to be intimidated from stopping what I am doing,” said Michael Avenatti Wednesday night after he was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence earlier in the day. https://t.co/WtVskGeTxu pic.twitter.com/p9lTq2BFIH
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 15, 2018
“I have never struck a woman. I never will strike a woman. I have been an advocate for women’s rights my entire career and I’m going to continue being an advocate. I’m not going to be intimidated from stopping what I’m doing,” said Avenatti.
“I’m the father to two beautiful, smart daughters. I would never disrespect them by touching a woman inappropriately or striking a woman. I am looking forward to a full investigation at which point I am confident I will be fully exonerated,” he added.
BREAKING NOW: Michael Avenatti Arrested for Alleged $20M Extortion Scheme Against Nike
Celebrity Attorney Michael Avenatti was arrested Monday for an alleged $20 million extortion plot against clothing manufacturer Nike and is charged with committing bank and wire fraud charges surrounding the attempted scheme.
“Celebrity lawyer Michael Avenatti has been arrested on charges related to an alleged $20 million extortion of the athletic apparel company Nike, federal authorities in New York City said Monday,” reports CNBC.
JUST IN: Michael Avenatti charged with bank and wire fraud in alleged extortion attempt https://t.co/UP31tQaphT pic.twitter.com/ChaAdbSEc2
— The Hill (@thehill) March 25, 2019
BREAKING: Federal prosecutors in New York announce the arrest of Michael Avenatti on charges related to alleged $20 million extortion scheme targeting Nike. https://t.co/rAIUb7UPbf pic.twitter.com/aXbfTDBPrB
— ABC News (@ABC) March 25, 2019
“Avenatti also is charged in a separate federal case out of Los Angeles, where he is accused of embezzling a client’s money ‘in order to pay his own expense and debts,’ and of ‘defrauding a bank in Mississippi,’ prosecutors said,” adds the article.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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