Michael Avenatti was sentenced to nearly eight years in prison when he was dissatisfied

Michael Avenatti, a once shocking celebrity lawyer who fights President Trump’s court on behalf of adult movie star Starry Daniels, was sentenced to 11 years in jail Thursday for evading taxes and stealing millions of dollars from clients.

U.S. District Judge James V. Selna's anger at Avenatti reached 135 months (a little more than 11 years), but he was jailed for 40 months for stealing nearly $300,000 from Daniels' advance payments because he served in prison. That brought his verdict to nearly eight years.

“Avenatti did many noble and wonderful things in his life, some of which reflected in this case, but he also did great evil that he had to answer,” Serna said. “In this case, his actions … showed some of the most basic principles of fairness.”

Avenatti pleaded guilty in June 2022 on four counts of wire fraud for stealing money from clients and one count of obstructing his Seattle coffee business (now collapsed).

One of the clients he stole from Geoffrey Ernest Johnson was a disabled person with a psychopath. Selna ordered Avenatti to pay victims about $9 million in damages, including at least $10, including the IRS and the State Bar Association of California.

Avenatti appeared in court in Santa Ana in a gray sweatshirt and sweatpants and was sentenced to 14 years in prison in 2022. After he appealed, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a new hearing. The Ninth Circuit found that the trial judge's decision was based on a decision to lose more to the actual losses suffered by the victim and sentenced Avenatti to a harsh judgment.

Prosecutors have sought more than 13 years in prison. Avenatti requires more than three.

During a hearing in the federal court in Santa Ana, Selna issued a 10-year tentative ruling, citing Avenatti’s work helps inmates among prisoners, including as suicide companions and through counseling.

But prosecutor Brett Sagel argued that Avenatti was the same person he stole from clients and called the judge's proposed verdict “unjust”.

“He is the same unrepentant man, and he will say or do anything, whether it is beneficial to him or not,” Sager said. “He at least hasn't changed.”

Margaret Farrand, federal public defender at Avenatti, said that from the beginning of his career, Avenatti “had a part of him really seeking to make the world a better place and he didn’t do it for the money.”

“It's part of him, it's part of him – a guy who has a good heart and wants to help the world somehow,” Farrand said. “It shows that it's part of what he wants to move on.”

Although Selna initially proposed a sentence shorter than his final ruling, it seems that Alexis Gardner, a former client of Avenatti, who spoke at the hearing, was particularly affected.

Avenatti admitted to stealing from the $275,000 settlement, Hassan Whiteside, Gardner's ex-boyfriend and then-Miami Heat professional basketball player, agreeing to pay Gardner to avoid potential lawsuits. Avenatti was flying a Ferrari while committing crimes, and he used most of his money to buy a private jet.

Gardner shivered as she stood in front of Selna, sometimes stopping to collect herself and pointing out that it is difficult to “have to stand next to my abuser.”

“Eight years ago, I expected a life-changing settlement that would make me safe and a chance to build a future,” Gardner said. “Instead, Mr. Avenati misappropriated my funds, and he decided my fate without my consent, according to his own choice.”

Gardner called Avenatti a “legal predator” and said she would have been a homeowner, who would have owned a car and had savings if it weren’t for him.

“This is someone who looks at me and tells me they are protecting me,” she said. “I think you should give him the most because it protects people who are not able to fight these laws.”

When he spoke to the court in court, Avenati said that if the past could be changed, “I will.”

“All I can do is try to move forward in a positive way, and that’s what I’m trying to do, and that’s what I’m going to keep trying to do,” he said.

After the hearing, Sager told reporters that he believed Avenati should have more time, but obviously, the equivalent of 11 years in fraud is an important verdict. ”

“I'm pretty sure he doesn't think it's a victory, holding double digits in prison,” he said.

It is not clear when Avenatti will be released from prison.

After Selna preached the sentence, Avenatti seemed to signal someone in the crowd that another legal lawsuit was in progress.

“We'll be back,” he said.