Federal agents seized Michael Avenatti's $4.5million private jet on Wednesday as the embattled attorney stands accused by the IRS of failing to pay taxes on millions of dollars in personal income and through his firm, while splashing hundreds of thousands on fast cars, opulent watches and exorbitant rent payments

Federal agents have seized Michael Avenatti's $4.5million private jet as the embattled attorney's tax fraud scandal heats up.

The warrant ordering the seizure of the Honda HA-420 twin-engine jet was served by the US Attorney's Office on Wednesday morning, spokesman Thom Mrozek confirmed to Fox News.

The plane was originally scheduled to fly from the Santa Barbara Airport to Orange County today on Avenatti's behalf but was instead flown by a private contract pilot to Chino Municipal Airport, where it is being held by Threshold Aviation.

Federal court records indicated that the six-seat aircraft was purchased on January 30, 2017, and registered to Passport 420, a company co-owned by Avenatti.

Avenatti brushed off the seizure on Wednesday, writing on Twitter: 'Re the "jet seizure" and Fox News’ tabloid journalism - led by moron @ShepNewsTeam [Fox host Shepard Smith]: I haven’t used the jet in almost a year and gave up my interest months ago last year. So they have no idea what they are talking about.'

In a second tweet he added: 'And I almost forgot @ShepNewsTeam- "420" is the model number of the plane not some reference to "marijuana" (oh, horrors). Why are you and your cohorts always so uptight in public but then in private...'

Fox News reported that in a government complaint, the lawyer's estranged wife, Lisa Storie, said that he owned another $4.5million private jet registered to Avenatti & Associates.

Avenatti told DailyMail.com: 'I have never owned two jets either directly or indirectly.'

The Honda HA-420 twin-engine jet (similar to the one above) was originally scheduled to fly from Santa Barbara Airport to Orange County today on Avenatti's behalf but was instead flown by a private contractor to Chino Municipal Airport, where it is being held by Threshold Aviation

Avenatti responded to reports of the jet seizure in a pair of tweets calling out Fox News host Shepard Smith on Wednesday evening

Avenatti's years of alleged tax evasion were revealed late last month when the ex-attorney for porn star Stormy Daniels was charged with trying to extort $25million from Nike, as well as embezzling from a client in a seperate case.

The federal charges against Avenatti have further exposed alleged tax fraud dating back a decade.

The 48-year-old has been accused by the IRS of failing to pay tax on millions of dollars in personal income and through his firm, while splashing hundreds of thousands on fast cars, opulent watches and exorbitant rent payments.

The IRS say that in 2009, the counsel reported $1.9million in personal income but did not pay the $570,000 he owed them in taxes, according to the LA Times.

The following year, Avenatti filed his income as $1.2million but failed to pay his $282,000 tax bill.

Federal prosecutors allege that since that time he has filed no personal income returns, while raking $18million into his accounts.

Furthermore, the lawyer has not filed returns for his firm, Avenatti and Associates, which has recorded deposits of $38million.

He has used the ginormous income of his firm to gorge on personal expenses, including $176,500 at Exclusive Resorts - an elite private vacation club, whose portfolio includes villas from Lake Como in Italy to chalets in Whistler, Canada.

Among other splurges the IRS note $217,000 at department store, Neiman Marcus; $117,000 at watch store, Jewelers on Time; $277,236 at Porsche dealerships and $39,762 on leasing Ferraris.

All of these while living at a $100,000-a-month house on the exclusive Lido Isle, a man-made colony for the super rich in Newport Beach, California; and another $123,825 to landlords in a Century City, Los Angeles penthouse.

'During these tax years, Avenatti generated substantial income and lived lavishly,' Remoun Karlous, an IRS investigator, wrote in documents obtained by the LA Times.

Avenatti is currently embroiled in another bitter legal battle with his estranged wife, Lisa Storie, who told revealed to DailyMailTV that the lawyer has been ordered to fork over more than $2million in unpaid child and spousal support

In an exclusive interview with DailyMailTV last month, Storie claimed that Avenatti had not seen his four-year-old son since January and cut off money for his medical insurance – which the lawyer later blamed on a 'clerical error'. The pair are seen together in 2011

Avenatti is currently embroiled in another bitter legal battle with his estranged wife, who obtained a judgment against him last year for millions of dollars as part of their divorce.

DailyMail.com revealed on Tuesday that a California judge had slapped down Avenatti's attempts to dodge his debts of more than $2 million in unpaid child and spousal support in a new ruling.

Storie, 50, exclusively told DailyMailTV that Avenatti owed $2million and branded the lawyer a 'dead beat dad'.

Avenatti vehemently denied the claims saying he owes nothing to his wife and filed motions last month asking an Orange County judge to toss the $2,053,332 writ.

He also took to Twitter slamming the story and even claimed he had disproved her claims, writing that the 'cavalry' came with receipts.

But in a judgment handed down last week, Judge Nathan Vu confirmed the multi-million debt and, besides some minor adjustments of the interest stacked on top of his debt, dismissed Avenatti’s legal arguments.