The Internal Revenue Service arrested attorney Michael Avenatti in California before the beginning of his criminal trial in New York for alleged extortion of $25 million from Nike, the Daily Beast reported.
The arrest came during a break in a State Bar of California hearing where Avenatti has been placed "involuntary inactive status," setting the stage for him being disbarred over allegedly misusing a $840,000 lawsuit settlement for his own personal use, according to the report.
The Central District of California arrest warrant was "with respect to potential violations of the conditions of pretrial release," according to U.S. Attorney for the Southern District Geoffrey S. Berman, per the report.
"Completely innocent," Avenatti reportedly said as he was being led out of the courthouse.
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.