Michael Avenatti Found Guilty in Theft of Stormy Daniels Book Advance

Star lawyer convicted of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft
Avenatti is scheduled to be sentenced on May 24 in New York

Michael Avenatti arrives at federal court in New York, Uon Feb. 3.Photographer: Angus Mordant/Bloomberg

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By Erik Larson and Christian Berthelsen

February 4, 2022 at 3:00 PM EST

Updated on

February 4, 2022 at 5:04 PM EST

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Michael Avenatti, the lawyer who represented adult-film star Stormy Daniels in an explosive lawsuit against Donald Trump when he was president, was found guilty of ripping off his former client.

A federal jury in Manhattan on Friday found Avenatti, 50, guilty of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for intercepting about $300,000 in advance payments to Daniels from a publisher as part of a deal for her memoir.