Michael Avenatti: prosecutors seek long prison sentence for corrupt lawyer

Prosecutors have urged a judge to impose a “very substantial” prison sentence on Michael Avenatti for trying to extort millions of dollars from the sports giant Nike.

Prosecutors noted in a Manhattan federal court submission on Wednesday that probation office officials recommend an eight-year prison term for the California attorney who gained fame three years ago through his representation of the adult-film producer and actor Stormy Daniels against the then president, Donald Trump.

Related: Lawyer Michael Avenatti found guilty of trying to extort Nike

“The defendant, a prominent attorney and media personality with a large public following, betrayed his client and sought to enrich himself by weaponizing his public profile in an attempt to extort a publicly traded company out of tens of millions of dollars. This was an egregious abuse of trust, and it warrants real and serious punishment,” prosecutors wrote.

The government said Avenatti, representing the director of a youth basketball program in Los Angeles, tried to force the apparel maker to pay him up to $25m to keep him quiet about allegations of corruption involving Nike and college athletics. Avenatti, 50, was convicted at trial last year.

In a pre-sentence submission last week, his lawyers urged leniency, saying six months in prison and a year of home detention would be sufficient punishment.

Prosecutors attached victim impact statements from Nike and Avenatti’s former client, Gary Franklin Sr. They urged the judge to order Avenatti to pay $1m in restitution to Nike for its legal fees.

In a victim impact statement, Nike’s lawyers wrote that Avenatti did considerable harm to the company when he followed through on threats to cause Nike billions of dollars in losses by falsely alleging in a tweet before his arrest that criminal conduct at the company reached the “highest levels”. Nike’s stock price immediately dropped a dollar, representing $300m, they said.

In his victim impact statement, Franklin said Avenatti’s actions “devastated me financially, professionally, and emotionally” and he asked the sentencing judge to consider that in deciding punishment for a man who never apologized to him.

Last week, Avenatti’s lawyers said their client deserved leniency in part because nobody lost money from the crime, he had suffered enormous public shame and a recurrence was impossible since Avenatti will never practice law again.

A message seeking reaction to Wednesday’s filings was sent to Avenatti’s lawyers.

Later this year, Avenatti faces trial in Los Angeles federal court on charges alleging he cheated clients and others out of millions of dollars.

Early next year, he is scheduled to go to trial in Manhattan on charges that he defrauded Daniels out of hundreds of thousands of dollars she was owed for a book deal. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.