Michael Avenatti, the high-profile attorney and a critic of President Trump, was arrested in New York on Monday and charged in what prosecutors called a brazen bid to extort millions of dollars from Nike by threatening to damage the company’s image.
Simultaneously, federal prosecutors in Los Angeles filed separate charges accusing Avenatti of wire fraud and bank fraud, alleging that he took a client’s settlement money and used it to cover costs related to Avenatti’s coffee shop business and other personal expenses. Avenatti is accused of concealing from the client where the money was.
FBI officials said Avenatti, 48, was arrested in Manhattan on Monday as he arrived at the offices of Boies Schiller, the law firm representing Nike. He had gone there for a meeting about his demands, officials said.
Remember, those who point fingers have four point back at them:
