Michael Avenatti hit with another 36 charges after being indicted by federal grand jury

On Thursday, L.A. Times journalist Michael Finnegan reported that Michael Avenatti has been indicted on 36 federal charges:

It is unclear the exact nature of the charges, but they appear to be related to tax law.

In late March, Avenatti was arrested on federal bank fraud and wire fraud charges for allegedly trying to extort the Nike corporation for $20 million, embezzling a client's money to pay his personal debts, and defrauding a bank in Mississippi by providing false tax returns to obtain a loan.

These existing charges already carry a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison.

Avenatti gained national attention as the lawyer for Stormy Daniels, the porn star with whom President Donald Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen brokered an illegal hush money agreement. Cohen faces a three year prison sentence for his role in that scheme, which is still under investigation by federal prosecutors with the Southern District of New York.