Disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti on Thursday pleaded guilty to several federal charges in California and admitted to stealing millions of dollars from clients.
Avenatti, acting as his own primary counsel, admitted his guilt to four counts of wire fraud and one count of endeavoring to obstruct administration of the Internal Revenue Code.
Avenatti admitted to “receiving money on behalf of clients into client trust accounts, misappropriating the money, and lying to the clients about receiving the money or, in one case, claiming that the money had already been sent to the client,” according to statement from federal prosecutors.
