Cristina MutchlerA federal grand jury has indicted attorney Michael Avenatti on 36 criminal counts linked to alleged wire, tax and bank fraud.
The IRS and the U.S. attorney's office in the Central District of California held a press conference about the indictment Thursday.
Federal prosecutors there allege Avenatti committed financial crimes by defrauding five clients out of millions of dollars, failing to file income tax returns and concealing assets.
Avenatti's also facing charges in New York. A separate case announced last month accuses him of attempting to extort $20 million from Nike.
Avenatti is probably best known for representing Stormy Daniels in a high-profile legal battle against President Donald Trump.
After the announcement, Avenatti tweeted that he plans to fight the charges and plead not guilty. If convicted, he could face a maximum of 333 years in federal prison.
He's currently free on bond and scheduled to be arraigned in the California case on April 29.
Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.
