Michael Avenatti, who came to prominence for representing porn star Stormy Daniels, might be facing a lengthy prison sentence for trying to extort a gargantuan sum of money from Nike. Prosecutors implored a judge to give the lawyer a “very substantial” prison sentence.

The Associated Press is reporting:

Prosecutors noted in a Manhattan federal court submission that Probation Office officials recommend an eight-year prison term for the California attorney who gained fame three years ago through his representation of porn star Stormy Daniels against then-President Donald Trump.

In their request, the prosecutors wrote:

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.

Avenatti was accused of trying to compel Nike to pay him $25 million to keep him from going to the press about allegations of corruption involving the company and college sports. He was convicted last year. His attorneys asked the judge to levy a lenient sentence: six months in prison and a year of home detention.

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

The AP report continued:

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 prior to his arrest that criminal conduct at the company reached the “highest levels.” Nike’s stock price immediately dropped a dollar, representing $300 million, they said.

“Nike executives were shocked,” the prosecutors wrote. “Nike had made a decision to not pay Mr. Avenatti, and now they were watching as he carried out what he had criminally threatened to do.”

The prosecutors also noted that Avenatti posted a “daily barrage of Twitter posts” for weeks after he was arrested. They accused him of “leveling provably false accusations against Nike and the high school athletes who compete in Nike’s grassroots program.”

Franklin stated that the creepy porn lawyer’s actions “devastated me financially, professionally, and emotionally.”

“The actions of Mr. Avenatti have destroyed my reputation in my community. Enrollment in my club is at a record low. I no longer feel welcome in places I once felt comfortable. I have struggled with my mental health. My family has suffered. Because of Mr. Avenatti’s actions, this ‘scandal’ is now the first result when you Google my name,” Franklin wrote.

Avenatti’s attorneys attempted to drum up sympathy for their client and downplay the impact of his crime, pointing out that nobody lost money due to his actions. “He cannot go anywhere in public without inducing and subjecting himself to vitriolic comments and abuse. These circumstances alone would deter anyone in Avenatti’s shoes from engaging in similar conduct,” they argued.

But, this isn’t the end of it. Avenatti is also facing charges in Los Angeles alleging that he swindled other clients out of millions of dollars. Next year, he is scheduled to go to trial in Manhattan on charges that he scammed Stormy Daniels out of hundreds of thousands of dollars related to a book deal. Avenatti has pleaded not guilty to each of these charges.

Avenatti’s ascent and downfall were so rapid that even Icarus would be shocked. The creepy porn lawyer successfully made a name for himself by representing Daniels against Trump, likely knowing that this would ingratiate himself with the activist media, which kept their lips firmly planted on his derriere. (Avenatti and Daniels are now sniping at each other as Nick Arama reported here.)

After representing Daniels, he continued to use Trump to elevate himself and even pretended to consider running against Trump in 2020. But, like Icarus, Michael Avenatti tried to fly higher than he was meant to fly. He got greedy. The man seemingly thought he was invincible. But, it became clear that the wax on his wings was melting, and he was the only one who couldn’t see it.

We don’t know how the judge will rule yet. But, it seems obvious that, combined with his other cases, Avenatti is about to face a world of hurt.