By Jonathan Stempel
By Jonathan Stempel
NEW YORK, Jan 6 (Reuters) – A U.S. decide on Monday rejected Michael Avenatti’s bid to dismiss two of the three counts in an indictment accusing the movie star lawyer of making an attempt to extort Nike Inc NKE.N by threatening to disclose its alleged improper funds to school basketball recruits.
Citing an alleged extortion of comic Invoice Cosby within the late 1990s, U.S. District Decide Paul Gardephe in Manhattan stated prosecutors may attempt to show that Avenatti engaged in wrongful conduct by threatening Nike with financial and reputational hurt until it paid him thousands and thousands of {dollars}.
Gardephe additionally known as it untimely to dismiss as obscure the 2 counts, alleging extortion and transmitting interstate communications with intent to extort.
Avenatti can also be charged with trustworthy companies wire fraud towards his shopper, youth basketball coach Gary Franklin, by concealing how Nike had supplied to settle as long as it didn’t have to rent and pay Avenatti to probe the alleged funds.
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