Stormy Daniels says that Michael Avenatti’s conviction for trying to exort Nike is ‘clearly a just result’ for a lawyer whose ‘arrogant, fraudulent, and overly aggressive behavior became so pervasive.’

Avenatti was convicted in New York on Friday of honest services fraud, extortion and interstate communications with intent to extort, and faces up to 42 years in prison

Avenatti is also accused of stealing $300,000 from Stormy Daniels and faces 20 years if convicted.

‘Sadly, it appears what Michael Avenatti did to me was just the tip of an iceberg of deceit,’ Daniels wrote.

‘I am not surprised his dishonesty has been revealed on a grand scale.

Stormy Daniels (left) took to Instagram and hit out at her former attorney, Michael Avenatti (right), after he was convicted on Friday of trying to extort Nike

‘Sadly, it appears what Michael Avenatti did to me was just the tip of an iceberg of deceit,’ Daniels wrote. ‘I am not surprised his dishonesty has been revealed on a grand scale'

Avenatti's defense attorney Howard Srebnick (second from right) points to his client during trial in Manhattan federal court on January 29

‘His arrogant, fraudulent and overly aggressive behavior became so pervasive that the jury found his true character.

‘Although clearly a just result, I do feel sad for his children and foolish for believing his lies for so long.’

THE CHARGES AGAINST AVENATTI The Nike case Avenatti was charged last March with three counts; extortion, honest services fraud and transmission of interstate communications with intent to extort. He tried to get Nike to pay him $25million and, in exchange, said he would not expose them for alleged payments to college basketball players - something that is banned. Nike reported him to the authorities instead. He is facing up to 42 years in prison. The Stormy Daniels Case In the second case to be filed against him in New York, Avenatti is charged with identity theft and wire fraud. He allegedly forged Stormy Daniels' signature to steal $300,000 in payments from her book. He represented Daniels in her fight against Donald Trump and Michael Cohen during the 2016 presidential election when they gave her hush money to keep her allegations that she'd slept with Trump quiet. If convicted, he faces 20 years in prison. That case will go to trial in April. The IRS and Justice Department Case The most serious indictment was filed in California. It charges Avenatti with 36 counts of tax fraud, among other crimes. If convicted, he faces 335 years behind bars in that case. That will go to trial in May. Advertisement

In addition to the Nike case for which he was convicted on Friday, Avenatti still faces court dates for two other cases - one of which involves alleged theft from his famous former client, Daniels.

Porn actress Daniels says she had a fling with President Donald Trump more than a decade ago and was then paid by the current president to keep quiet about it took to Instagram.

Avenatti represented her in a lawsuit seeking to break a confidentiality agreement so she could speak about her alleged affair with Trump before he ran for president.

But she later claimed he defrauded her of book proceeds worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Avenatti became a cable news fixture in 2018 and 2019 as journalists courted him for information about Daniels and her claims of a tryst with Trump.

At his peak of notoriety, Avenatti used Twitter and TV appearances to relentlessly criticize Trump and even considered running for president himself.

Many of his appearances occurred while he was representing Daniels and after the arrest of Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.

Cohen is serving a three-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to lying to Congress and campaign finance violations in connection with hush payments to Daniels and another woman who claimed an affair with Trump.

His fall, however, was swift.

Avenatti, the combative lawyer who gained fame by representing Daniels in lawsuits involving Trump, was convicted on Friday by a federal jury of trying to extort sportswear giant Nike.

The verdict was returned in Manhattan following a three-week trial in which prosecutors said Avenatti threatened to use his media access to hurt Nike's reputation and stock price unless the company paid him up to $25million.

The convictions for attempted extortion and honest services fraud carry a combined potential penalty of 42 years in prison.

Avenatti glared at the jurors as the verdict was being announced but said nothing.

Afterward, he shook hands with his lawyers and told them 'great job' before he was led back to the cell where he has been held since a judge found he had violated his bail conditions.

His lawyer, Scott Srebnick, said he would appeal the conviction but otherwise declined to comment.

A judge set sentencing for June.

The jury agreed with prosecutors who argued that Avenatti misused a client's information 'in an effort to extort tens of millions of dollars' from Nike, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said in a written statement.

Attorney Michael Avenatti leaving court on October 8, 2019, in New York City. He was convicted on Friday of trying to extort $25million from Nike

'While the defendant may have tried to hide behind legal terms and a suit and tie, the jury clearly saw the defendant's scheme for what it was - an old fashioned shakedown,' he said.

At trial, lawyers for Nike used words like 'shakedown' and 'stickup' to describe what they felt they were subject to when Avenatti threatened to stage a news conference to muddy Nike's name by linking the company to a college basketball scandal.

After Avenatti's conviction, Donald Trump Jr said in a tweet: 'I look forward to Michael's witty twitter retorts to the jury that just found him guilty in all counts.

Avenatti was last seen out in public in Los Angeles on January 11. Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles then succeeded last month in getting him locked up for violating his bail conditions

Following his release on bond last March, Avenatti took to Twitter and followed through with his threat to expose Nike. In a series of tweets, the lawyer named both DeAndre Ayton (right) and Bol Bol (left) as examples of players who had allegedly received improper funds from Nike

COLLEGE BASKETBALL BRIBERY SCANDAL RESURFACES IN AVENATTI TRIAL By Alex Raskin, Sports News Editor for MailOnline.com In September of 2017, the Justice Department announced a joint investigation with the FBI into bribery and corruption within college basketball circles. NCAA athletes are prohibited from accepting compensation, directly or indirectly, in exchange for playing their respective sports. However, major college basketball and football programs have long been accused of skirting those rules, and in doing so, breaking laws such as wire fraud and honest services fraud. Two familiar schemes were investigated: One in which recruits and their families allegedly received bribes in exchange for commitments to specific universities, and another in which player advisers were supposedly paid to persuade the athletes to sign with certain managers, agents, and financial advisers. And since American colleges all receiver over $10,000 from the U.S. government, any alleged fraud involving the schools can be considered a federal crime. The probe resulted in charges for 10 individuals, including Adidas executive James Gatto and former Indiana Pacers star, Chuck Person, who had been serving as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Auburn. Legendary Louisville coach Rick Pitino was not convicted, but was fired as a result of the probe. He now coaches in Greece. Shoe companies such as Adidas and Nike have not been directly implicated. However in March, celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti alleged on Twitter that Nike had bribed current NBA players Deandre Ayton and Bol Bol during their high school days in an effort to persuade them to attend colleges sponsored by the apparel company. Ayton and Bol attended Nike schools Arizona and Oregon, respectively. (Bol Bol is the son of deceased former NBA player Manute Bol) Later Avenatti claimed the mother of Duke star Zion Williamson was also paid by Nike for 'bogus consulting services' so that he would sign with the Blue Devils, another team with ties to the apparel giant. Williamson became the top pick in June's NBA Draft and is now a member of the New Orleans Pelicans. On Friday, Avenatti was convicted of trying to extort Nike for $25 million. Advertisement

'Though I'm told he is still doing well amongst the Democrat primary contenders.'

The president's son also sent a tweet with snippets of some of Avanatti's television appearances and suggested the media loved Avenatti.

Avenatti was arrested as he was about to meet Nike lawyers last March to press his demands for millions of dollars to conduct an internal probe of the Beaverton, Oregon-based apparel maker.

Evidence at trial showed Avenatti owed at least $11million at the time and had been evicted from his law offices for failure to pay rent that totaled roughly $50,000 a month.

Avenatti maintained he was taking the aggressive position at the urging of his client Gary Franklin, who ran a youth basketball league in Los Angeles and was angry that Nike ended a decade-long sponsorship that provided $72,000 annually and free gear.

He sought $1.5million for Franklin, as well.

Franklin testified that two Nike executives forced him to pay money to the mother of an elite high school basketball player and to pass along payments to the handlers of other players while doctoring paperwork to hide the purpose of the funds.

Franklin said he felt betrayed by Avenatti after he learned the lawyer was demanding millions of dollars for himself and another lawyer.

He also said he would not have approved of Avenatti threatening to smear Nike's name, since he wanted to repair his relationship with the company.

'Scared, upset, confused' was how Franklin said he reacted to Avenatti telling him that he was 'going to go public' with what he knew about Nike executives.

As Franklin testified, Avenatti showed his displeasure.

He laughed, grimaced, looked skyward, smiled and shook his head in reaction to his former client's testimony.

Avenatti did not testify, but his lawyers said he was following the wishes of Franklin and an entertainment executive who advised him to be aggressive to force Nike to fire corrupt executives and fix its culture.

Besides the extortion trial, Avenatti also faces an April trial in New York on charges that he defrauded Daniels of book proceeds and a May trial in Los Angeles on charges that he defrauded clients and others of millions of dollars.

The judge presiding over the trial over book proceeds died this month.

The judge newly assigned to the case has scheduled a conference for Feb. 25.

Avenatti remains held without bail.

Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles succeeded last month in getting him locked up after saying he violated his $300,000 bail by moving money around illegally after his arrest.

Following his release on bond last March, Avenatti took to Twitter and followed through with his threat to expose Nike.

In a series of tweets, the lawyer named both DeAndre Ayton and Bol Bol as examples of players who had allegedly received improper funds from Nike.

Ayton played a single season at the University of Arizona before becoming the first pick in the 2018 draft, while Bol Bol is the son of the late 7ft 7in NBA great Manute Bol, who died in 2010.

Avenatti claimed Bol Bol 'and his handlers' took 'large sums' to play for The University of Oregon, which is a Nike sponsored school.

Avenatti claimed he had proof that Nike was paying players illegally to sign with certain schools when they were in high school.

Besides the extortion trial, Avenatti will face trial in New York in April on charges that he defrauded Daniels of book proceeds.

He will then go on trial in Los Angeles in May in the Justice Department and IRS case where he is accused of defrauding clients and others of millions of dollars.

He remains held without bail. Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles succeeded last month in getting him locked up after saying he violated his $300,000 bail by moving money around illegally after his arrest.