Michael John Avenatti (born February 16, 1971) is an American former attorney currently incarcerated in federal prison for felony fraud and extortion.
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NEW YORK -- A former Nike EYBL coach testified on Friday that two of the sneaker company's employees directed him to make payments of tens of thousands of dollars to the parents and handlers of at least three high-profile recruits and then submit fraudulent invoices to the company for reimbursement.
Gary Franklin, who founded California Supreme and coached its under-17 elite team on the EYBL circuit, testified during celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti's federal criminal trial that he facilitated payments to Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton's mother as well as to the handlers, coaches and trainers of Denver Nuggets center Bol Bol and former UNLV player Brandon McCoy when they were still amateurs.
Franklin testified that in June 2016 he helped facilitate payments of $30,000 to Melvin McDonald, a California-based trainer who worked with Ayton and Bol; $15,000 to Shaun Manning, who was McCoy's handler; and $15,000 to Ayton's mother, Andrea.
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